HIT: Planning/Prep Time Makeup

[Chuck Finnigan <cfinnigan@SWSD.WEDNET.EDU>]

Hi everyone,
        Many thanks for all who took time to respond to what appears to
be a very sensitive issue.  Here are the results:

        68 said NO, they do not make up planning time
          4 said YES

And a small sampling of your comments and suggestion...

        It should be a union issue.  (It was and the teachers voted for
it.  I have been threatening a grievance and will if this nonsense
continues next year.)

        Students are allowed to come and check out books another time.
(Absolutely.)

        Is my planning time is made up? (No.  I did ask who was
repsonsible for making up my planning time at a staff meeting and was
met with silence.) Do teachers make up teaching time that their students
miss.  (Not that I'm aware)

        M. Buchanan sees it as, "...a trend by principals and
administrators to maximize the teacher planning time at the expense of
classroom instruction, the library program, and the programs of such
special teachers as art, music, and physical education.  "

        "I thought Washington was progressive."  Patsy Robertson

         "The way we handle it is by going
on a 6 day rotation.  It could be any number.  The first dayof school is
Day 1, etc, etc, until a day is missed.  If the last day we attended was
a Day 3 then the day we come back is Day 4.  It isn't as confusing as it
sounds and works great.  We choose a 6 day because we are a large school
and by going to 6 instead of 5 we avoid having to have itinerant
teachers in our building."  Cindy Simpson

        "...using the library for prep coverage
makes moving towards flexible scheduling more difficult to achieve.
It's
clearly not the best use of the library, librarian or resources."
Andrea Avni

        "Our district handles this in a much better way. We have cycle
days.  If
a day is missed because of vacation, weather, inservice, the schedule
pretends that the day was never there.  If day A is a vacation day, the
next day becomes A day, so no classes are missed."  Janet M. Diem

        (And finally from Gloria Young, one of the few who answered
affirmatively)
"Two years ago I gave the matter serious thought and I decided that the
time
in the library is the students' MOST IMPORTANT time in their school
week.
I will not let them miss it if I can help it!  It has really changed my
attitude about it.  When I know classes will miss library because of a
special progam or days off school, I go to the teacher with my schedule
in
hand and say,  "Your students will miss library this week.  When can we
fit
them in to make it up?"  The teachers were shocked at first.  I think
gradually I was able to convey the message that I am not babysitting so
the
teachers can have prep time.  What the students do in the library is
important!  I have seen more respect for me and my program since I
started
this."

        And if you notice the date, it's Saturday and guess where I am!

Chuck





Chuck Finnigan
*********************************
Central Elem School Library
Library/Technology
601 Talcott St.
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
360 855 3560
cfinnigan@swsd.wednet.edu
http://www.swsd.wednet.edu/ct/lr.htm
Don't anthropomorphize computers. They don't like it.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
To quit LM_NET (or set NOMAIL or DIGEST), Send an email message to
listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
    NOTE: Please allow time for confirmation from Listserv.
For more help see LM_NET On The Web: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=