If you haven't figured out already, being a teacher means I have almost no time to write in a blog!  Because of this, I tend to avoid the big issues (merit pay, RIF Notices, NCLB, etc) and focus on small bits from my day.  I couldn't tell if my last post was sort of "brushed off" because it didn't seem important.  Let me tell you, when you work someplace that is this messed up, every trivial thing adds up! 

This is one example.  For the past 4 years that I've worked in this district, my birth control was not covered by my medical insurance.  In my district, we have two options for insurance.  We can choose an HMO with a small co-pay, or a PPO with a $200 deductible.  The HMO option is encouraged, because it saves the district money in the long run... so to encourage enrollment in that program, the district only covers "Women's Wellness" on the HMO plan.  That's right.

For the last 4 years, I have had to pay $40.00 per month for birth control pills AND $200 dollars every year for my "girly exam."  (Because they didn't cover that, either.) Just so I could have PPO insurance.

It wouldn't make me mad, except that my same policy covered Viagra AND prostate exams for men!

And to be honest, this is a female dominated profession.  So it seems extra odd.

I think that things like this just fly under the radar because teachers are too darn busy teaching, to say anything.  If you think we don't need our union, you have got to be crazy.  (And, by the way, that insurance plan was supported by the union, because they were trying to take away even more of our benefits.) 

At any rate, our new insurance bundle covers birth control.  I just bought mine and only had to pay $5!!!  I was so excited!  I don't know if my "pap" is covered, but this really, really, really helps.

Maybe they finall figured out that all the maternity leave was getting really, really expensive!