'Working to the Contract' Hurts Students, Tulsa Teacher Says

Mixed reactions are coming from Tulsa Public School teachers asked to "work their contracts."

3/8/2018 Related Story: Tulsa Teachers To Cut Out Non-Contract Work

Starting Monday, they'll no longer arrive early, stay late or do any "school" work at home on their own time.

News On 6 spoke with one teacher at Eugene Field who said the plan just isn't fair to her students.

When the halls at Eugene Field Elementary are empty, and her students aren't around, Rolinda Vreeland finds time to grade. 

She shows up to school each morning about two hours before class starts and does most of her grading and lesson planning at home.

The second-grade teacher said she works at least 60 hours each week. 

"I love my kids. I mean, that's all I can say. That's the only reason that I do it is because of the kids," Vreeland said. 

Starting Monday, she won't have the same head start to her day.

"We are all walking in together at 7:15 a.m. and at 3:15 p.m. we will all meet up in the front of the school and all walk out the front door together," she said.  

But when she goes home, Vreeland plans to go against what the teachers' union is asking and keep grading and planning.

"I couldn't survive if I didn't take my work home," she said. 

She argues working to contract won't get state lawmakers' attention. 

"Are they gonna know? Because they're not gonna come out and walk the halls to see what's going on in the school buildings," she said. 

She adds it will only disrupt her kids' education.

"It's total chaos. I've tried it before and it is. It's total chaos. You can't just come in at the spur of the moment and start throwing stuff together," she said. 

After teaching in Oklahoma for 23 years, Vreeland said she's ready to retire. This school year is her last.

She plans to make the most of each day she has left with her second graders. 

"I don't want them to miss out on a moment of learning," she said.