Coming up - teacher's annual fall vacation!

"The real bad news about MEA coming this soon, is after it is over, the next thing coming up quickly is Halloween. Then comes November. Then...well, we know the rest of the story. Months and months of darkness, bitter cold, and unrelenting snow."  

This is October. People who have lived in this state for many years, know what October in Minnesota is all about. Hint: except for 1987 and 1991, it is not about watching the Twins march through the playoffs. It is however, about Halloween, our famous "Halloween Blizzard" of 1991, and of course - MEA. What is MEA? The biggest boondoggle the teachers ever pulled off on the State of Minnesota.

I always worked in the private sector. My wife spent her entire career as a public school teacher. In October, I always hoped that people I worked with would forget my wife was a school teacher. Why? The moaning and groaning of parents who had to take two days of their precious vacation just to watch their little twerps. And that happened every year.

One of the most frequent questions I would get asked concerning MEA, I could not answer. "Why in the world can't these teachers use their summers off to have a two day convention?" Good question. Other than the fact most of the teachers use this time to visit the fall colors, I have no clue. What? You mean to tell me that even with having this time off, most teachers don't even attend MEA? Roger that. Some do, most don't.

The thing I have been concerned about for quite a while is not how much time teachers get off, but how much learning is sacrificed by our students. As it stands now, most districts only get 180 to 185 of contact days of learning per school year. What is the learning which takes place during the two days of MEA? Nada. That is, unless the kids are home schooled and the parents continue the education process. Many times on that weekend, the weather is skunky, so the kids just sit in front of some kind of screen. Or if the parents are going crazy, they might spend an extended weekend at a motel with a pool.

In any event, get ready. MEA is next week. The real bad news about MEA coming this soon, is after it is over, the next thing coming up quickly is Halloween. Then comes November. Then...well, we know the rest of the story. Months and months of darkness, bitter cold, and unrelenting snow.