Teacher collaboration days to start next year

Better education means more days when students are at home and teachers are in the classroom, according to the Douglas County School District.

Starting next year, elementary school students will have five nonconsecutive days off while teachers collaborate, and middle school and high school students will have two more days off.

"We cannot continue to add more to the plates of our teachers without providing them time," said Superintendent Carol Lark.

In a previous interview, Lark explained the importance of ample collaboration time.

"We need to adjust instruction based on what we learn," she said. "Take fourth-grade long division for example. Fourth-grade teachers need to sit down together, see exactly what they're teaching, how they're teaching it, and how to apply the best practices to all classrooms."

Lark said schools will be held accountable for how they spend the time. Meetings will be documented, and site principals will report progress directly to the school board. She pointed to an article published by the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, entitled "Maximizing the Impact of Teacher Collaboration." The article states that collaboration time is a key element in "all thriving professional learning communities."

"Research clearly supports the importance of teachers having time to work together to analyze and improve classroom instruction," Lark said.

The district anticipates some working parents will struggle to find childcare for the added days off.

"The Boys and Girls Club and the County Parks and Recreation's Kids Club have agreed to work with us for those families who cannot make other arrangements," Lark said.

A flyer is being sent home to all parents informing them of changes made in school calendars. Included is the district's already established inservice day.

Next year, elementary schools will have the following days off: Sept. 22, Nov. 10, Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 27 and May 8. Middle and high schools will have Sept. 22, Jan. 20 and March 27 off.

To offset lost instructional time, the district may extend class periods by a few minutes, though where and when has not yet been decided.

"We believe this will truly result in student achievement," Lark said.

Susan Lacey, a teacher at Meneley Elementary School and president of the Douglas County Professional Education Association, supports the added collaboration time.

"Teachers need the time," she said. "They never have enough time to talk to each other."

However, Lacey said teachers were worried they'd be forced to work on district-mandated items and not problems particular to their schools.

"Carol Lark has assured me that each site will decide what needs to be worked on," Lacey said.