All of the Responsibility Without Any of the Control- Why Classroom Teachers Should Have All Control Over Scheduling - Draft 1

It did not take long when I discovered that I had very little control over the day-to-day schedule of my students. This has not changed at any point. I come to this realization and frustration every Fall, thinking that maybe one of these years it might change so that the hierarchy of a school building would be principal first and then general classroom teachers clearly 2nd in command.

Every year, as a regular classroom teacher, it feels as if I am being dictated to by factors and people who shouldn't be telling me how to do my job.

I will teach my reading block when I think it is the most conducive for all of my students. I should not have Title I telling me that I am teaching reading from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. if I think maximum benefit takes place from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

I lock in my schedule for when I teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and health. IEP caseload students and ELL grammar pullout students are scheduled after I set my schedule- no expections. If scheduling conflicts arise, Special Education and English Language Learner teachers modify their work schedule so that they meet with groups before and after school.

How do specialists schedule students before and after school? You add buses. You schedule buses to pick up students at various times. Yes, you will have some students arriving sooner and leaving later, but this eliminates the disruptions to the regular classroom day.

So what work schedule will ELL and IEP specialists work? Different than the regular day, obviously. If the work day for a regular classroom teacher is 8-4, then ELL teachers work 6-2 and IEP specialists work 10-6, for example. ELL teachers front-end their ELL groups while IEP specialists back-end their pull out groups.

How do you pay for the extra transportation costs for busing more students at different times? You just do it. More money goes into the budget to purchase more buses and fuel.

What about fuel costs? Offset that by going to a four nine-day workweeks and a four hour day on Fridays without students.

When do you have staff meetings and staff development? On Fridays- one hour staff meeting, one hour staff development, and two hours of teacher prep time.

What happens to teacher prep time on Monday through Thursday with the longer student days? You reallocate time to Friday. The amount of prep time does not change, it just comes at different times.

More refinement on this topic at a later time.