Survey says teachers favor shorter school calendar

By: Jessie Pounds | Lynchburg News and Advance
Published: March 11, 2010

Survey results suggest Lynchburg public school employees support the idea of a school calendar with fewer days next year.

Lynchburg City School administrators sent school employees an online survey, which posed the question: “If you are facing a pay reduction, would you prefer to have a calendar that you are used to or would you prefer to have the calendar that was presented at the March 2 School Board meeting?”

Staff could then pick a preference from three options: the current calendar (180 days), the proposed calendar (172 days) or undecided.

Steve Smith, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction said more than 600 employees responded to the survey and 82 percent of employees preferred the proposed calendar option. Nine percent chose the current calendar and nine percent were undecided.

Under Superintendent Paul McKendrick’s new calendar proposal, students would come to school eight fewer days next year than this year. Students would go to school for about 30 minutes longer each day, more than making up the time. This would mean making a seven-period day mandatory at the high school level. Currently, high school students are required to take six periods but can choose to take seven.

Teachers would work the same hours per day next year as this year, but spend more of that time teaching and supervising students and less time planning. Teachers would also lose eight work days in addition to the eight teaching days.

Other features of the proposed calendar include a lengthy winter break (Dec. 23 through Jan. 17) and the elimination of semester exams.

According to Smith, roughly 300 of those who responded also left comments. The following are the major themes of support and concern Smith identified:

Support:

Roughly 200 supported efforts to allow teachers and staff days off in the face of expected pay cuts.

Roughly 50 supported more instructional time for students

Roughly 50 supported the calendar proposal if it would result in decreased salary cuts or job losses. Smith said this was worrisome, and might indicate a lack of understanding, because the calendar changes would not be offered as an alternative to those cuts.

Concerns:

Roughly 50 voiced concern about a longer school day for elementary school students.

Roughly a dozen voiced concern about losing teacher work days.