Each school nurse shall be entitled to a thirty (30) minute duty-free lunch break except in
emergencies.
8:3 Planning Periods
A.
All regular kindergarten, R through 5 elementary teachers, and the Special Education teacher of
an elementary self contained Emotionally Handicapped or Pre-school class shall have a planning
period whenever teachers in the fields of art, music or physical education take over the class. The
above teachers shall have such additional planning time as is required to provide the total amount
of planning time set forth in the following schedule during all five (5) day school weeks. The
remaining personnel on the following schedule shall have the amounts of planning time set forth
on said schedule during all five (5) day school weeks.
Teachers shall continue to be aware of and prepared for their responsibility for continuity of
program in the areas of art, music, and physical education. The teacher has the option to use
planning time for either a pre-planned in-service program, parent conferences or for classroom
activities.
Regular kindergarten, R through 5 elementary teachers, and the Special Education teacher of an
elementary self-contained Emotionally Handicapped or Pre-school class: 200 minutes per week,
and 250 minutes per week effective September 1, 2008. Art, Music, Physical Education, Reading,
Speech and Hearing, Library, and School Counselors: 250 minutes per week. For Special
Education teachers other than teachers of elementary self-contained Emotionally Handicapped
classes and Pre-School class: 120 minutes and 150 minutes effective September 1, 2009.
Effective September 1, 2022, an additional fifty (50) minutes per week will be designated as
common planning time for all teachers at the same grade level to communicate, collaborate,
engage in professional development, and/or to engage in student achievement data review as a
Professional Learning Community (PLC). Administration shall retain discretion to determine if the
fifty (50) minutes of PLC time is utilized.
When teachers in Art, Music, and Physical Education are absent from work, the Administration
agrees that it will use its best efforts to replace them with specialist substitute teachers. In order to
improve their compliance with this paragraph the Administration will keep a separate, updated and
current list of specialist substitute teachers of Art, Music and Physical Education.
Secondary teachers in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Foreign Languages,
Science, Music, Art, Physical Education, Library, Guidance, Reading, Business, Special
Education, Technology Education and Home Economics-General will have one planning period
equal in length to the length of the instruction period per pupil school day.
During school days or weeks which are shortened due to holidays, vacations, inclement weather,
or emergencies which necessitate school closings, planning periods scheduled for the time during
which school is not in session shall be lost and not made up.
8:4 Teaching Load - Class Size
A.
In scheduling teachers, the administration will attempt to keep the number of different rooms in
which assignments occur at a minimum.
Teachers desiring special attention and supportive help and guidance may seek same from the
Building Administration and other supervisors.
1. On the secondary level no teacher shall be required to have more than five (5) periods of
class instruction per day, more than six (6) different classes per marking period, nor more
than four (4) different class preparations per marking period.
2. A "class preparation" means a period of instruction which requires selection and
organization of teaching content, materials and procedures, and/or the evaluation of the
written and oral work of the students. Thus, if a school divides a given grade level into
"College English" and "General English", this should be viewed as two distinct "class
preparations". Subjects which are similar, but still clearly different, such as first year
typing and second year typing, are considered as different "class preparations", whereas
"personal typing" and first year typing may be considered as one preparation. Under
certain arrangements for alternating subjects, two grade levels may be combined to form
a single class. Each class of this type can be considered as one preparation.
A "period of class instruction" means a period devoted to any form of systematic,
organized instruction.
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