Create Flexible Work Environment Damnit

Moms often work in schools for flexibility.

Many moms, when they finally go back to work, secure jobs in the schools. It’s a flawless transition: the parents have great reputations, are reliable, trustworthy, have passed background checks, and more often than not, their kids didn’t write bomb threats on bathroom mirrors. Administrators love them, teachers count on them, students recognize them, and taxpayers are content as they are often paid next to nothing.

Here’s the kicker: these women are some real smarty-pants. Most have degrees in desirable professions and/or kick-ass experience to back up their achievements. I’m not talking Quinnipiac Polling here; this is one mom’s observation of one quasi-suburban school district. They’re working at the schools they love so they can be home when the kids they love even more get home.

Programmer, pharmacist, occupational therapist, accountant, neuro-biologists (2 if you can believe it!), stylist, marketing VP, artist, executive assistant, writer, lactation consultant, financial advisors, chemist, chef, para-legal, sales, and more real estate agents and unemployed guidance counselors and teachers than you can count.

How come?

Well, duh. ‘It’s the economy stupid.’ And many of these moms love children and this is a natural transition from momming to working. Work, any work these days, is good work. However, if there were, by chance, other options available with the same work schedule: school hours, work-from-home opportunities, flexible time-off for sick and “professional development” days (always a kicker for working parents), would these moms still choose the classroom for pennies a day?

And, alarmingly, there was more than one parent surveyed who specifically chose to work in the schools to “keep an eye out for” Johnny, to make sure he/she doesn’t slip through the cracks of a cracked educational system. But that’s an entire different blog…

However corporate America won’t accommodate, in most cases, our desire to parent our children. Big mistake. So the neurobiologist, tax attorney, and occupational therapist are assisting in schools at $9-15/hour so they can be home when the bus arrives. How exactly is that economic stimulus?

What does it matter when the job gets done, as long as the job gets done? Stop holding working moms hostage to the almighty bottom line when in fact, a more flexible, accomodating work environment will net employers overly-qualified employees giving it their all at a reduced fee. We will sacrifice salary again and again in exchange for family friendly hours so we can get home to be the mom we signed up to be. To help with homework and run Scouts and tutor difficulties and applaud test scores and mend hurt feelings and coach and mentor and hug and guide and love up not only our children, but all those we come into contact with.