Monthly early release day gives teachers time to plan 4/24/2009 12:08 AM By ROB NOVIT Senior writer
After a successful pilot project in the Wagener and Ridge Spring/Monetta schools, the Aiken County School District will introduce an "early release" day once a month for staff development next year.
On one Wednesday a month, each school will dismiss students about two hours early, followed by an approximately four-hour session for faculty-member training and discussion.
"We have done the pilot for two years now, and other schools started talking about wanting to do early release, too," said Area 1 Assistant Superintendent Joy Shealy.
District administrators will begin planning on dates and on the parameters for the program, said Deputy Superintendent David Caver. He doesn't anticipate that the early release sessions would be held in August, nor in January after the holidays either.
"We think it will really help," he said, "with our High Schools That Work program, the middle school staff development we need and with the literacy model we're rolling out for all elementary schools. Our schools can benefit from an ongoing and concerted effort in staff development."
The three Wagener schools - Wagener-Salley High, A.L. Corbett Middle School and Busbee Elementary School - are completing their second year with the project. RS-M Elementary/Middle School and RS-M High joined the initiative during the current school year.
Parents have been cooperative, often using the early departure time to take their children to the doctor or just to spend additional time with them, said Shealy. Teachers like the program, she said, because it's a more concentrated effort and not coming at the end of a regular, long school day.
Corbett Principal Dr. Deborah Bass and Busbee Principal John Mills agreed that the sessions have been effective.
"There's plenty of opportunity to get more information to our teachers," Mills said. "They get an opportunity to collaborate and put their best practices together for their classrooms."
Corbett and the other schools have brought in outside speakers, said Bass, such as a State Department of Education staffer to discuss gender-based instruction and an S.C. ETV representative to describe educational resources to help engage student-learning. Faculty from the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center have also provided sessions on integrating reading and writing throughout the curriculum. USC Aiken professors such as Dr. Tim Litner and Dr. Lynn Rhodes have provided additional information to assist teachers on curriculum.
"We've also done our own research on how to understand review our own MAP (testing) data," Bass said. "We're looking at the needs unique to our school."
In addition, district administrators will explore staff development opportunities related to overall academic goals, Caver said.
Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.
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Comment Title: no sitter!
I have been educator and we had faculty meetings after school for this kind of thing. I have a younger child that gets off the bus at the same time that my husband gets home from work. Am I supposed to pay a daycare for 2 hours a month? This was piloted in Wagener where all students get out around the same time and all siblings can ride the same bus. I have a child in elementary and one child in middle school and they ride different buses. Therefore, my older child can't watch the younger one. I am going to have to get off of work 4 1/2 hours early once a month!
Posted by: On: 8/18/2009
Comment Title: Early Release (sounds like a prison program!)
Why not have teacher development on the Teacher Planning days already scheduled each month? That way, kids don't lose out on their education. I am confused about teachers complaining about having to stay until 5 p.m.for 8 days out of 185. Most of us non-teachers work until 5 p.m. every working day-250 days a year.
Posted by: rjn3 On: 8/14/2009
Comment Title: Go with the flow
I know that everyone is resistant to change, but give this early release attempt at least an opportunity to fly before jumping on the negative train. I know that as a teacher it will be worth staying one day a month till 5:00 pm if if can get additional training & workshops to help me be a better teacher for my students.
Posted by: On: 5/1/2009
Comment Title:
It is so interesting to read the comments from those that are not educators. They seem to have it all figured out! I would invite you to spend a week in the world of an educator. I bet you would have a different outlook on the profession. To the teacher that thinks the school system is trying to limit your time at church. I dont quite understand. Why can you not make it home and to church after you get off at 5pm?
Posted by: On: 4/27/2009
Comment Title:
Teachers are supposed to stay until 5:00 now on Wednesdays. This new program gives a longer time period once a month to accomplish professional development, so teachers can learn more to help your children. There is always something to learn. Also the children aren't losing instructional time because the school day will be extended every other day except that one Wednesday a month.
Posted by: On: 4/24/2009
Comment Title: time to plan?
I don't feel that this title is appropriate. From the way I heard it, these days will be inservice days where we have to sit in meetings or professional development opportunities. This is NOT planning time.
Posted by: On: 4/24/2009
Comment Title: What about this thought?
Don't you think this is a plan maybe to do away with the teacher workdays that are built into the year? This way they do not have to pay for 5 days per teacher and why does the teacher have to stay later then usual? It doesn't make sense that the kids leave two hours earlier but we are going to make the teacher stay an extra two hours. Time is time. Why do they have to stay until 5:00 PM?
Posted by: On: 4/24/2009
Comment Title: Schools out
I dont see why this cant be donr in the summer when school is out and teaching is over. When school starts you should be ready with all the info and training you need, not learing in the middle of the year.Im not a teacher and i dont know how it all works but we should let a teacher teach and if they get bad results they need to be let go and a better teacher brought in
Posted by: Re: teachers time to plan On: 4/24/2009
Comment Title: EEDAN_BB
I thought that the whole point of education was to teach the kids. What is the ACSD accomplishing by letting the kids go early from school? And what about the teachers? They will need to stay an extra two hours on those days. Its not like they have nother better to do, right! They have lives, families and other obligations. Are the teachers going to be paid extra for their time? I can answer that, NO!!! How about the times on those days when they need to do something like take their children to the doctor or dentist? For Baptists, this is a day that they go to church. This is just another way for school (government) to inhibit the teachers religious practices. How about the coaches and ball practice at these schools? That is going to add another two hours for the kids to be picked up and two hours later that they get to go to bed. The students get to go home two hours early. That is two hours that they are not in school learning. How about the parents of some of these students? Not all of the parents are going to be able to pick up their kids. This whole idea stinks!!! The ACSD administrators have nothing better to do than to sit around all day and come up with ways to screw with the teachers. And no, I am not a teacher. The ACSD is top heavy, get rid of some of the administrators. If they do that then the school district will not need to get rid of so many teachers!!!
Posted by: MVHS Student On: 4/24/2009
Comment Title:
i hope they start doing this in area 3 schools
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