October 02, 2008
"Late Start Wednesdays" accommodate teacher schedules
Hornell parents must change their work schedules once a month so Hornell teachers (protected by their union contract) don't have to change theirs.
Beginning this week, all schools in the Hornell City School District, which is in Steuben County, will begin two-hours late the first Wednesday of each month so that teachers can get additional training, the Hornell Evening Tribune reports.
"For the past three years, we've been pulling teachers out of the classroom to give them time to learn new instructional skills and strategies," said Judy Ingalls, assistant to the superintendent for curriculum and instruction, in a recent district newsletter.
Substitute teachers have to be hired every time a teacher is not in the classroom. Officials said that process is costly and disruptive to the learning atmosphere. However, the change is both costly and disruptive for parents, who must take time off from work or pay for extra child care eight times during the school year. It also means students will get 16 fewer hours of classroom instruction.
The Hornell Educators' Association's 46-page contract includes six pages on working conditions. Teachers' work day is 7 hours and 18 minutes (including 30 to 40 minutes) for lunch and a block of unassigned time. They work between 180 and 186 days a year, depending on snow and emergency days.
Teachers are expected to attend staff meetings. However, the contract says, "It is expected that the total of such meetings shall not exceed two meetings per month except in cases of emergency." Another provision says a "voluntary" staff development program "will be held during work hours within the teacher work year".
A copy of the Hornell Educators Association contract can be found here . Teacher and superintendent contracts for 733 school districts are available at www.seethroughny.net.
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