Is this normal?

I’m a 6th grade teacher at a middle school, the way our grade level schedule is set up I have class from 7:30-12:40 (30 minute lunch at 11:00.) my last hour and 45 minutes of the day is plc/team meetings and plan time.

Here is my dilemma: the 8th grade teachers at my school have a LOT of absences. I’m talking some are already on their 8-9 absence this year. I’m all for taking your time, but there’s so many absent a day. I’ve been having to cover their classes weekly, this week it’s been 3 times. So I’ve missed my planning, my plc, and a grade level meeting.

We have a rotation, it goes through our 12 sixth grade teachers. So that means there’s at least 4-5 8th grade teachers a day who are absent with no subs. The students are so misbehaved (obviously no classroom management) I can’t blame the kids I mean their teachers are never there.

I’m just genuinely curious, are any other middle schools this bad with covering? My school doesn’t seem to care, even if you take all your sick days.