Prince William School Board Reduces Teacher Workday

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Photo by Ashleigh Henegar Photo by Ashleigh Henegar

The Prince William County School Board voted five to three Wednesday to reduce the length of the teacher workday from 7.5 hours to 7 hours.

The change will revert school work hours to the length they were prior to 2012; the measure goes into effect for the 2016-17 school year.

Potomac School board member Justin Wilk supported the action, along with Chairman Ryan Sawyers, Lillie Jessie (Occoquan), Willie Deutsch (Coles) and Diane Raulston (Neabsco.)

Gil Trenum (Brentsville), Alyson Satterwhite (Gainesville) and Loree Williams (Woodbridge) voted against the measure, saying they would rather support other changes to allow teachers more flexibility and autonomy in their use of planning time.

Wilk posed the the issue months ago, claiming teachers felt the initial 2012 vote was a punitive move against them.

Members were united on the need to boost teacher morale.

“I think, amazingly, we’re all on the same page,” Sawyers said.

Before the vote, Dr. Jennifer Cassata, Director of Accountability, presented the finding of a survey PWCS gave to teachers to help the administration better understand their feelings about the additional 30 minutes.

According to Cassata, about 50 percent of K-12 employees voluntarily participated in the survey.

Of those, 71 percent were hired before 2012. In total, 49 percent said the extra 30 minutes did not affect them. Forty-one percent said it negatively affected them, and only nine percent said it had positively affected them.

By and large teachers said they used their time preparing for classes and grading.

The Prince William Education Association had been highly critical of the survey, casting some doubt on its results.

School board members championed different aspects of the 30-minute issue.

Wilk  said to some teachers the additional 30 minutes was like “a slap in the face."

Trenum said teachers would be better served if they could be provided with greater flexibility; he suggested teachers who work the required hours should not need to take sick or personal leave if they have to leave early after students have left. Dr. Steven Walts, Superintendent, agreed.

The Chairman  agreed with many of the counter-points, saying the board should explore those ideas in the future. However he expressed that the motion on the table was worthwhile.

“This is a first step towards a positive solution--to say to teachers ‘their time is appreciate, is understood.’”

Sawyers said, there is no better flex time one could offer than free time and he believes teachers put in enough time.

However, there was some dispute over the urgency of the debate.

Loree Williams said the board has heard time and again from teachers that they do not have enough time to do all of their grading, planning and analyzing of data.

She said the survey did not indicate that enough teachers were affected by the issue to warrant such a change. Further, she noted 7.5 hours was consistent with teacher workday days in the region, and a decrease to the workday amounts to a raise.

Wilk said it is akin to a raise, but it is also deserved. He spoke over Williams, saying Loudoun County teachers receive higher pay than Prince William teachers do, so their hours are not comparable.

Others showed less enthusiasm than Wilk but nonetheless supported the motion.

Jessie said she would have preferred giving teachers more time off. Deutsch said he wanted to do something to demonstrate to teachers that they are being supported.

Satterwhite, who opposed the motion, said she would prefer to find a way to help teachers find unencumbered planning time.

Finally, Raulston, who asked for the motion to be clarified, said, “If teachers are in agreement, than who am I to say no?”

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