Ms. Sutton thinks the enrichment classes funded by the foundation are nothing more than a way for teachers to sneak some much-needed planning time into the school day. Here’s the truth: Del Mar teachers have had planning time for over 20 years, well before Tom Bishop was the superintendent. Teachers finally formed a union while he was superintendent, and then negotiated guaranteed planning time while students were in these special classes. The only new aspect of this “juicy perk” is that it is now written in our contracts.
State and federal laws require the teaching of art, music, technology and science. Ms. Sutton suggests using local artists and musicians to teach some of these classes. Here’s another fact: that is against the law. The state of California requires that all adults teaching children be certified by the state. Luckily, many of our current enrichment teachers not only have their teaching certificate, but they have real world experience in their area of expertise. If Del Mar cannot afford $75,000 (a number quoted by Ms. Sutton that I assume includes benefits) to pay each certified enrichment teacher, having a foundation with generous donations by the community is a plausible way to fund this.
Another hot button that Ms. Sutton pushed related to teacher planning time in general. I did some quick research and asked several Del Mar teachers to estimate how many hours they spend outside the school day planning, making copies, grading, etc. According to my survey, the average teacher at my school is working a 51-hour week. That’s 32.5 hours from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. during school, plus 18.5 extra hours working before school, after school, and on the weekends. That’s how much we’re working even with our contracted planning time. In other districts, I have seen a lack of planning time result in teachers giving busy work during the school day so they can grade papers or plan lessons. Would that be an improvement? Hardly. To maintain our top position throughout the county and state, teachers need their planning time to effectively prepare and assess students. Is it really such a big deal that we can get work done while our students are in enrichment classes covering standards? Besides, I know most of the parent community highly supports these valuable enrichment classes.
As for planning time being something that only we in Del Mar get to enjoy, that is just plain wrong. While it is true that districts like the Escondido School District do not give teachers any contracted planning time, many districts do. The San Diego Unified School District gives teachers at least 60 minutes per week, and some schools get more if parents donate money to pay for it. Solana Beach gives teachers about 225 minutes for grades 4-6. These minutes are not necessarily guaranteed in a contract, but teachers in those districts would like to move in that direction. Out-of-state-districts such as Naperville 204 in Illinois give teachers 175 contracted minutes a week. All schools across Minnesota are required by state law to give 5 minutes of planning time per 50 minutes of instruction. I could go on and on. This practice is not a perk, but a common practice all over the country in elementary, middle, and high schools. Let’s not forget, according to Time Magazine, the number one reason teachers quit their profession is lack of planning time.
Many of the finest teachers end up in Del Mar due to the great reputation, family support, and the “juicy perks” like contracted planning time. Taking away opportunities for planning and collaborating will not only upset teachers, but more importantly it will directly impact the students’ learning. Remember: we’re supposed to be a team working together to educate children. Let’s stop trying to take away the tools we need to successfully do that.
