Batavia schools sets time for teachers to learn

The Batavia school board Tuesday decided that having high school teachers spend nearly five school days planning for learning, instead of being in the classroom with students, may improve learning enough to be justified.

The board voted 6-0 to start high school 45 minutes later on Thursdays next school year so that teachers can participate in something called "professional learning communities" before the bell rings. The PLCs will discuss what students should be learning, whether they are learning it, and what to do if they aren't.

School board President Ron Link noted that community residents had expressed concerns to him over the loss of instructional time. Principal Doug Drexler said teachers at other schools that implemented this believe it is worth the loss. Batavia studied about 20 other suburban high schools that use this.

"They (teachers) feel they have refined and developed things for students that make existing class time much more productive and engaging for kids," Drexler said.

Meeting weekly was more productive and led to better results than meeting monthly, he said, or meeting during the no-school teacher institute days already on the schedule. Meeting in the morning keeps students' lunch periods at normal times, instead of starting lunch at 10:15 a.m. (The shorter day will still have four time blocks.)

Link and Trustee Matt Winkle are also concerned about what students who ride the bus to school will be doing while teachers are meeting. Buses will still arrive starting at 7:10 a.m., even though classes won't start until 8:25 a.m.

The plan Drexler presented suggested that some student clubs could meet, or that students could meet with guidance counselors, study in the cafetorium, play sports in an open gym, make up tests in the Testing Center or serve in-school suspensions and detentions. Administrators, certified staff and other nonteaching workers will supervise the students.

"I want to see some sort of structure for the student (that is bused) that is a good student, but has no interest in activities or study hall," Link said.