Task force to transform school day in U-46

If you ask students, teachers, administrators and parents what the ideal school day looks like in Elgin Area School District U-46 looks like, you’ll get at least four different answers.

A joint task force borne out of more than nine months of contract negotiations between the teachers union and the school board is working on a solution to reconfigure the school day — for teachers and students — rather than lengthening either.

Administrators and union leaders have said the recommendation may not include a longer school day or year. The purpose, according to the 2011-2014 agreement, is to maximize student learning and promote teacher collaboration.

The transformation task force is composed of five members of the Elgin Teachers Association, five U-46 administrators, as well as Superintendent Jose Torres and members of the Illinois Education Association.

“We all had issues around the structure of the school day,” teachers union President Kathryn Castle said. “But all of our experiences with the structure and the driving factors for changes all differed. Crafting a solution at the bargaining table didn’t make sense.”

Castle said neither side was willing to rush to a solution and a task force was the best way to address all concerns.

“Everyone says there is something wrong with it, but we’re not all saying the same thing (is wrong),” Castle said. “So there’s not exactly the same solution.”

Bartlett High School Principal Suzanne Colombe is a member of the task force. She said the goal is to address the needs of the staff as well as students.

“The optimal day should provide for the best opportunities for student learning and success in all curricular and extracurricular programs,” she said. “Additionally, the optimal day should allow for staff collaboration and opportunities to provide support and interventions to students in ongoing and meaningful ways.”

There are four subcommittees representing each grade level, as well as for nontraditional education, which represents employees including but not limited to psychologists, speech pathologists, music, physical education, art and nurses.

The subcommittees then report to a steering committee, which will present an interim report to the board of education and teachers union in September.

Although an interim report has not been finalized, the memorandum of understanding included in the latest contract, outlines expectations for the report. Those include an update on the task force’s review of both student contact time and teacher collaboration.

Final recommendations are expected in mid-December for implementation in the 2013/2014 school year.