Modified Schedule by Maria Miller

1) If we go to 1 PD a week, there is no guarantee we won't have 3:45-4:45 meetings. Admin can still call these meetings or have a minimum day PD last 2 hours. I'd prefer the system we have now (for sure once a month, and an occasional extra after school meeting). As opposed to 1 meeting a week plus the potential for more.

mmiller198 — 2024-03-06 16:37:56 UTC

2) Admin does not have to give us the PD time to grade or call home. It could be that every week we have to have a meeting and/or some task to complete. This could increase our workload. I think once a week meetings would be excessive. I'd prefer less frequent meetings that are 2 hours long where we can get more done, rather than a set-in-stone 1 hour per week.

mmiller198 — 2024-03-06 16:38:20 UTC

3) If we go to 1 PD a week, that will also mean one TLC/Advisory every week, which I disagree with. I personally like TLC and see it as beneficial and I like keeping the same students for 4 years. But I think TLC is better if it's 2 or 3 times a month rather than every week.

mmiller198 — 2024-03-06 16:38:32 UTC

4) If we go to 1 PD a week, we will have to choose between losing the Final Exam minimum days (extra time to grade) or, if we keep those Final Exam minimum days we will have to end school at 3:36 four times a week, which I disagree with. If we vote for the waiver, we can potentially keep the Final Exam Days and still end at 3:28. (Although I do think those Final Exam days are not a guarantee and can be decided by Admin or SGT).

mmiller198 — 2024-03-06 16:38:43 UTC

2024-03-06 18:31:30 UTC

Having a once a week PD would assist in PLC work (Grade-level and Content Level), Vertical Teaching, Grading, Deep Dive into student D's and F's, revamping and condensing of lessons, connecting with parents, tutoring time, standard based grading retakes of quizzes and the list goes on. Why not simply have a plan put in place requesting that if approved, 2 PD days will be given towards PLC's (grade level and content) and one towards Admin and one towards District/Union business.

2024-03-06 18:43:33 UTC

Having a once a week minimum day would allow for all staff that is various groups/committees to meet then, rather than before or after school.

It would help to have clarification on what we would actually use the time for. If we are given the time to grade/catch up/make phone calls, etc. I would be for it. If admin is going to give us a task to do each week(increased workload) or have more meetings, then I would be for the waiver.

2024-03-06 19:09:26 UTC

A once a week PLC that only lasts an hour is not useful or helpful. You can't get any meaningful work done in that length of time. That also leads to increased work load. Our plates are already full.

2024-03-06 19:18:02 UTC

Remember, Tabiendo pointed out that the idea of having a once a week Modified Day was aimed at schools that are not doing any PD. Morse doesn't have that problem. There is no reason for us to have to go to this schedule.

2024-03-06 19:19:33 UTC

Go to modified days then get ride of TLC to recoup instructional minutes

2024-03-06 19:46:30 UTC

2024-03-06 19:53:07 UTC

I'm for the weekly modified days as it was the intent of SDEA to avoid extending the school year and carving out time for PD. SDEA also gives protection to the number of meetings that are allowed per month. Any meeting that goes beyond our on-site hours counts towards the maximum 3 meetings a month cap agreed upon by SDEA and the district.

2024-03-06 21:36:11 UTC

Our contract states in 8.5.3.1:

The reasonable number of administrator required meetings in a given month shall not exceed 1 department, 1 staff meeting, AND 1 committee meeting.

I am not a fan of TLC and will vote it down the first chance I get. That is one more reason to vote for a waiver. TLC every week does not sound fun. Also not a fan of an even longer work day every day.

2024-03-06 23:03:28 UTC