Fixing elementary prep time issues: Agreement reached

Scheduling elementary prep time has been more complex this year, with the contractual right to at least 180 minutes of prep time every two weeks and the addition of VAPA teachers funded by Prop 28. The Joint District-SDEA Elementary Preparation & Enrichment Committee has been working to address these challenges. 

This year SDEA members have reported a variety of issues, including:

• Not enough prep teachers allocated at some sites
• Vacancies even when prep teachers are allocated, leading to missed prep time
• Fully staffed sites struggling to reschedule missed prep due to holidays or other disruptions

Recently this joint committee agreed on a solution:

• Visiting Teachers will cover any missed prep time before the end of the school year. They may follow pre-planned PE lessons, eliminating extra prep work for educators (so that they can use prep time to actually prep!). If you are owed prep time, reach out to your site administrator to start this process now!
• When a site is fully staffed, a schedule analysis will help determine whether enrichment teacher allocation adjustments are needed at sites with ongoing scheduling challenges.

This will ensure that all educators can receive their full prep time, including make-ups, as intended.

• Read the whole agreement here
• Read more about the Elementary Preparation & Enrichment Program (including an FAQ)