District 300 considers schedule change to allow more teacher training

Community Unit District 300 officials are considering a districtwide schedule of either early release or late start to allow more time for teacher training starting next school year.

The district's elementary schools now get 15 days of early release, while the middle and high schools have 15 days of late starts, with two teacher institute days overall. Yet, teachers are being pulled out of the classroom an additional eight to 10 days for training, Superintendent Fred Heid said.

Parents consistently have objected to having “too many interruptions” to the school schedule, he added.

Officials recently surveyed parents to see whether changing the schedule would be welcomed. Of the 3,226 parents who responded, nearly 90 percent agreed if the district were to shift entirely to an early-release model, it would be best if it was on the same days for elementary, middle and high school levels.

Eighty percent of parents agreed they would have no problem with moving from late start to early release at the middle and high schools, if student supervision is provided between the end of the school day and any planned extracurricular activities. However, some parents were concerned high school students would not get enough sleep and also questioned the need for so much teacher training.

“We had agreed last year to revisit our current schedule to ensure that it fits our needs,” Heid said. “We have found that 15 late starts/early releases have provided adequate time but have also created a disjointed schedule for students and their families. As such, we want to balance our needs for professional development with the needs of our stakeholders. Moving both elementary and secondary schools to a common schedule of either early release or late start K-12 would allow for much needed articulation.”

Officials have considered pushing elementary schools to later starts, but determined it would be unfair to force parents to take on the financial burden of finding before-school care.

Heid recently presented six options to the school board, taking numerous factors into consideration to find the best fit.

One possibility is lengthening the teachers' school year, which would have to be negotiated with the teachers union and could cost between $500,000 and $600,000 for each additional day.

“We could make it work, but I would argue that $2 million to $2.4 million is probably better spent elsewhere or through different strategies, such as after-school trainings or other opportunities,” Heid told the board.

The district could conduct multiple institutes providing at least four days of training at different times throughout the summer. That also would have to be negotiated with the union, Heid said.

Late start and early release have become more common as school districts try to balance teachers' needs to stay up-to-date on best practices, skills and teaching strategies, with the state mandate of 174 days of student attendance.

Elgin Area School District U-46 incorporates 18 early release days into its schedule and four institute/in-service days for teacher training. Barrington Unit District 220 and Huntley Community School District 158 provide four institute/in-service days, yet still pull teachers out of the classroom for additional training, Heid said.

Northwest Suburban High School District 214 is considering a proposal for later start times, less weekend homework and shorter athletic and co-curricular practices to alleviate teenagers being overtired and overstressed.

In District 300, those late start/early release days typically are relegated to teachers reviewing what has been taught or tests and quizzes, with not much time left for new instruction, Heid said.

“So regardless of a late-start or early-release model, one of the concerns I've heard voiced loud and clear, not just by parents but also by staff, ‘Now they are taking an entire schedule and abbreviating it and taking 2½ hours out of the academic day,'” he added.

Heid is developing more options based on the school board's direction and the issue will go before the board for a vote at a future meeting.