Improve Teacher Workload
In response to an outcry from members and non-members alike, BFT held a listening tour in the spring of 2014 at several campuses and invited all faculty and staff to participate. BFT listened as teachers, paras, and support staff told of needless and redundant paperwork, of meetings excessive in number and length, and in reduced autonomy among professional staff.
From what we heard on our listening tour, we developed the plan below, originally containing 12 items, consolidated into seven.
At the August BISD board of trustees meeting, Deputy Superintendent Barry Edwards placed an information item on the agenda. His report is attached as it the education code and BISD policy governing workload. In it he identified BFT’s campaign to improve teacher workload as a priority issue and committed the district to carrying out items #1, 3, and 7 from our plan.
- Return to the Total Quality Management principles that BISD adopted several years ago: Ask TEACHERS what will improve teaching and learning.
- Streamline the RTI process. The current process is long and complicated. Teacher input will be used to address this issue.
- Redefine the role of specialists. Specialist will assist teams to create and implement effective lessons. Teachers do not work under the direction of the specialists.
- Put a moratorium on new “non-negotiable policies” district wide and on each campus until the district has improved teacher workload. Appoint a team of teachers at each campus to examine all “non-negotiable policies” and recommend whether each should be kept, dropped or modified. Teachers need a say in what programs are being introduced in their classes and how their instructional time is used.
- Teachers on campus should have the option of designating team leaders or specialist to be in charge of PLC. Teachers should have input on PLC agendas. Specialists may request that items be placed on the agenda. If items can not be accommodated on an agenda it can be added to the next meeting agenda.
o PLC meetings shall go no later than 5 minutes before the bell rings.
o Positive models of PLCs (math at BHS and Social Studies at CCHS, for example) will be looked at and replicated.
o Team leaders will be provided an extra conference period to prepare the tests, notes, assignments, etc. that are required for the team.
o For those teams that meet five times a week, reduce that to four and give them the fifth day as a conference period to grade papers, call parents, and prepare for the next week.
- Allow Special Education teachers, Foreign Language instructors, and elective teachers at campuses the opportunity to meet as a department so they can plan lessons, complete paperwork, and work with case load students collaboratively.
- Set a limit on the amount of “duty” time for each teacher. Duty time is not fairly distributed. Some teachers have duty every day. Duty time needs to be balanced with the teacher’s other responsibilities.
- Limit the number of after school meetings.