Once a week, local elementary school teachers and administrators
get part of a day to develop curriculum and better organize their
duties.
Once a week, local elementary school teachers and administrators get part of a day to develop curriculum and better organize their duties.
While students may consider the benefit of a minimum day is that they get out of school early, that’s not the case.
“It can be difficult to get teachers together,” said Jackie Munoz, superintendent of the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District. “Minimum days allow collaboration to transpire.”
Local elementary school classes begin between 7:30 and 9 a.m. and normally get out between 2 and 3:30 p.m. But once a week, school is over about an hour and a half earlier than usual – around 1 or 2 p.m., depending on the school.
Anzar High School also has a weekly minimum day and schools in the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District have their minimum day on Wednesday. The Hollister School District’s minimum day is Thursday.
Students may think they’re spending less time at school because they get out early once a week, but they attend school the same amount of time as before minimum days were implemented.
The state Department of Education mandates that students attend school at least 180 days per year. The state also specifies how many minutes students need to be at school.
When teachers are organized, it decreases the incidence of “flying by the seat of their pants,” said Judith Barranti, superintendent of the Hollister School District.
During minimum days, teachers look at curriculum issues and discuss matters that affect their grade levels, Barranti said. In the end, this improves instruction, she said.
Munoz said it boils down to there being only 24 hours in a day.
“Teachers have so little time – any time they can get to prepare is great,” she said.
The state used to mandate staff development days, but four or five years ago it did away with those, Barranti said. Now, there is little or no mandated staff development time.
To make up for this, schools and districts restructured school weeks to let students out early once a week, but keep them in school the required amount of time.
