Deadlines & Scheduling

Deadlines & Scheduling (Months, Dates, Times)

What is the deadline for the learning team to present a comprehensive plan to the faculty?
When should teachers be notified of the specific dates and times for their school’s collaborative planning sessions?
What is the deadline for submitting school plans to the superintendent?
The contract provides for two hours of collaborative planning per month for six months each school year. What are the six months for 2007-08?
Must the planning be scheduled in a consistent pattern each month?
Is the entire staff required to do collaborative planning at the same time on the same date?
Are schools required to do the monthly two hours of planning in one block of time?
When may the collaborative planning hours take place?
May one or two hours of planning be held in the evening or for example, 30 minutes after the student day?

What is the deadline for the learning team to present a comprehensive plan to the faculty?: The deadline for the learning team to present a comprehensive plan to the faculty is Friday, October 5, the second banking day of this school year for most schools.
When should teachers be notified of the specific dates and times for their school’s collaborative planning sessions?: These specifics must be included in the comprehensive plan which the planning team presents to the faculty, no later than October 5.
What is the deadline for submitting school plans to the superintendent?: All principals must submit the final plan to the superintendent by Friday, October 12.
The contract provides for two hours of collaborative planning per month for six months each school year. What are the six months for 2007-08?: The learning team should determine which six months will work best for their school. The principal should decide if the team does not reach consensus.

If a school has no preference, the designated six months for 2007-08 are: November, January, February, March, April, and May.
Must the planning be scheduled in a consistent pattern each month?: No, a set pattern is not required. However, the learning team may decide, for example, that scheduling a two-hour block the third Tuesday of each month works well with other school activities.

The goal is to schedule the planning to best meet the needs of the school.
Is the entire staff required to do collaborative planning at the same time on the same date?: This is the most effective way to make sure the faculty is on the same page.

However, the learning team may determine that the school’s needs can be better addressed by a limited deviation. For example, it may make more sense to do a segment of planning with the primary unit a week prior to the intermediate unit.

Learning teams should spell out such deviations in the comprehensive plan – along with a brief statement of rationale.
Are schools required to do the monthly two hours of planning in one block of time?: No. However, a minimum of one hour is needed to carry out meaningful conversations and planning. Learning teams decide on scheduling either one two-hour block or two one-hour blocks per month. They may wish to try both one-hour and two-hour blocks – to find which works better for their school.
When may the collaborative planning hours take place?: The hours may be scheduled immediately before or after a regular workday. For example, the learning team at a senior high may schedule two one-hour blocks before school on two Fridays each month. Or an early-shift elementary school may have the full two-hour block of planning right after school on a Thursday.
May one or two hours of planning be held in the evening or for example, 30 minutes after the student day?: No. Planning sessions must be held immediately before or after the teacher day, the same as when faculty meetings take place.

Questions?

If teachers have further questions about collaborative planning, they should contact an MTEA staff member at 414-259-1990.

If principals have questions, they should contact the MPS Labor Relations Department at 475-8280.