Early release days may be added. What the WCPSS calendar could look like this fall.
Wake County school leaders plan to add six new half-days to this fall’s calendar but have nixed a proposal to extend the school day to make up for lost instructional time.
Wake school administrators on Tuesday presented revisions to the 2022-23 calendar that would change six full days into early release days, where students are dismissed two hours early. What was not included Tuesday was an earlier version of the proposal that would have added five minutes to the remaining school days to help make up for losing the 12 hours of instructional time.
Administrators said some schools will go through their daily schedules to find an additional three to five minutes a day of instruction time to help them stay above the state minimum of 1,025 instructional hours each school year.
But the early release days could create childcare issues for some families, a concern acknowledged by school leaders.
“It’s not lost on us the sacrifice that this is asking for so many people across the board in terms of less instructional time for students when you take it as a whole, family considerations, even teachers in schools with the work that they’re doing,” said Drew Cook, assistant superintendent of academics.
The school board is scheduled to vote on the calendar revisions on May 17.
LETRS training
The calendar change stems from trying to fit in training time for the new “science of reading” literacy instruction that state lawmakers are requiring every elementary school teacher to receive by 2024.
Teachers will receive training on the LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) program, which stresses using phonics to teach students to read. North Carolina divided school districts into three groups to receive training, with Wake beginning in January.
The LETRS training has produced complaints that the time commitment is a burden on teachers. Even with the addition of the early release days, Wake teachers will still have to find their own time to complete the majority of the training.
Wake teachers will receive up to $2,000 in bonuses after completing training.
“Teachers do see that dedicated time that is set for professional learning will support them in this work,” said Michele Woodson, senior director of curriculum development.
While elementary school teachers receive LETRS training on early release days, Wake proposes that staff in middle and high schools receive “needed professional learning that has not been covered in the past two years.” Woodson said teachers not receiving LETRS training could get training on topics such as social and emotional learning, behavioral health practices and equity and inclusion.
Cook said it’s likely that early release days will also need to be added for the 2023-24 school year to continue to provide the training both for LETRS and in other areas.
Calendar revisions
Under the calendar proposal, each school would get six early release days:
▪ Traditional calendar: Sept. 2, Nov. 10, Dec. 5, Dec. 21, March 24 and May 9.
▪ Year-round: July 28 (tracks 1, 2 and 3), Sept. 2 (tracks 1, 3 and 4), Nov. 10 (tracks 1, 2 and 4), Dec. 5 (tracks 1, 3 and 4), Dec. 21 (tracks 2, 3 and 4), March 24 (tracks 2, 3 and 4), April 6 (tracks 1, 2 and 3) and May 9 (tracks 1, 2 and 4).
▪ Modified calendar: July 28, Sept. 2, Nov. 10, Dec. 5, April 6 and May 9.
▪ Knightdale High, North Wake College and Career Academy, Vernon Malone College and Career Academy, Wake Early College High School, Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies: Sept. 2, Dec. 5, Dec. 21, March 24, April 6 and May 9.
▪ Wake leadership academies and Wake STEM Early College: Sept. 2, Nov. 10, Dec. 5, March 24, April 6 and May 9.
In addition, a teacher workday would be added April 24 to the year-round schools so that tracks 1, 2 and 3 can get in training.
Changes from the prior version include no longer scheduling an early release day on Nov. 22, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Banked time
Wake stopped using early release days beginning in the 2019-20 school year when it went from having 180 days of instruction down to 177 days of classes. The three fewer days of classes allowed for additional teacher workdays to be added.
However, having only 177 days of classes made it harder to stay above the 1,025 hour requirement.
Currently, all schools have a cushion, called “banked time,” where they can opt not to make up to three inclement weather days each school year. While it would be close, Woodson said it appears schools will still be above the state time requirement and still have banked time after adding back the early release days.
“We felt like the early release days struck a balance between having a day in school versus having fewer days in school overall, even though it’s a partial day because most of our schools have well over 1,025, plus pre-banked days,” said Superintendent Cathy Moore.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 6:28 PM.
