“Teachers will be required to provide approximately twenty-five (25) hours of eligible FEFP instruction directly to students each week.” ( Collective Bargaining Agreement between SDIRC and IRCEA) FEFP Instruction??

FEFP Florida Education Finance Program The statutes on FEFP explain funding methods, not teacher instruction time.

Florida Statutes Section (10)(a), Florida Statutes, provides for schools to operate 180 days or the hourly equivalent. Section (1), Florida Statutes, defines "full-time student" for funding purposes and establishes instruction as comprising not less that 900 net hours for a student in grades 4-12 or not less than 720 net hours in grades K-3. This is the minimum instruction for students and not a minimum or maximum period of instructional time for instructional personnel.

2004 Hurricane Make Up Calendar Refer to packet of handouts… Press release on Hurricane Make up Days Second paragraph refers to using Wednesdays for making up instructional time for students Second page, first paragraph states that five days of instruction will be made up. This plan still left the first Wednesday of the month shortened for Staff Development…even during an emergency situation the district in 2004 valued teacher’s time and respected the value of a well trained teacher.

Lengthening three Wednesdays a month, starting in October, without shortening M,T,TH,F allowed for five days to be made up after the storms of 2004 Refer to page 3 of the packet, paragraph #2. This states again that by teaching longer on Wednesdays, FEFP instruction time would be recouped so the district would not lose funding. IRCEA wonders what the district’s plan is for make up days for the 2008 active hurricane season…are we just hoping for no hurricanes?

Newspaper Article Page two of the attached newspaper article reiterates the fact that when Wednesdays are lengthened students are attending school far beyond what is funded. Talk about unfunded mandates…now these mandates are coming from our own district.

By the numbers… VBHS: 7 classes at 45 minutes equals 315 minutes per day o315 x 180 = 56,700 o56,700 divided by 60 minutes = 945 hours of instruction oThis is 45 hours longer than is funded SRHS: 4 classes at 61 minutes plus 2 classes at 45 minutes per day o = 334 x 180 = 60,120 o60,120 divided by 60 minutes = 1002 hours oThis is 102 hours longer than is funded

By the numbers… Middle Schools: 50 minute classes x 7 per day = 350 minutes o350 x 180 = 63,000 o63,000 divided by 60 minutes = 1,050 hours o1,050 – 900 = 150 hours longer than is funded Elementary Schools: Approximately 330 minutes of instruction per day for students o330 x 180 = 59,400 o59,400 divided by 60 minutes = 990 o990 – 900 = 90 hours longer than is funded for 4-5 o990 – 720 = 270 hours longer than is funded for K-3

Modified Instructional Week First in contract in 1996 as: Article XV.AG “A modified instructional week will be implemented during the school year contract moved to Article III.7 Early Release (Shortened Wednesdays) at the request of the district to designate the purpose for shortened Wednesdays. A. Each Wednesday during the school year shall be designated as a shortened day with approximately four hours of student contact time for elementary and secondary students. B. These early release days shall be utilized in the following manner: 1. First and third Wednesdays of the month will be utilized for Staff Development and/or countywide curriculum meetings. 2. Second and fourth Wednesdays of the month for faculty and/or department/grade level meetings. 3. Fifth Wednesday for individual teacher planning.

Modified Instructional Week Language changed in the Addendum to the Contract III. 7 Early Release (Shortened Wednesdays) A. For the school year, Early Release Wednesdays will occur on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month with the first Early Release Wednesday on the first week of school for students. Of those Wednesdays, the first Wednesday per month will be available for District In-service. 1. It is understood that if in-service offerings pertain to the teacher’s grade level or subject area, attendance will be mandatory. If there is no pertinent in-service, the Wednesday will be used for teacher planning. 2. The other Early Release Wednesday will be used at the discretion of the principal for school based meetings, i.e. faculty meetings, team meetings, department meetings, grade level meetings, etc. If no meetings are called by the principal, this Wednesday will be used for teaching planning. B. In , Early Release Wednesdays will be eliminated.

Back to the intent of the language. “Teachers will be required to provide a maximum of twenty-five (25) hours of FEFP instruction directly to students each week with the exception of extenuating circumstances where it is necessary to change the student day to comply with minimal FEFP instructional time (i.e. hurricane makeup) or in cases where the MBU agrees to teach during her/his planning period.” ( IRCEA/SDIRC Contract)

The intent of the language… Maximum was added to clean up ambiguous language. The contract refers to teachers individually as MBU in listed languages where it explains the rights of an individual teacher. All MBUs shall have a thirty (30) minute duty free lunch, except in situations where the principal declares an emergency. Where teaching subjects are departmentalized, the administrator will make every effort to see that no MBU will have more than three (3) preparations per semester. When the contract refers to teachers collectively it states “teachers” Teachers will be required to provide a maximum of twenty-five (25) hours of FEFP instruction Teachers agree to fulfill assigned responsibilities for such activities as those required in fulfilling their regular assignments. The administration will schedule assigned responsibilities to occur within the regular workday.

Respect the contract… Teachers (collectively) did provide more than enough instruction time for the district to get the funding when we had a modified instructional week. To burden teachers with more instruction time by eliminating shortened Wednesdays, but not eliminating modified instructional week is unacceptable and will have a devastating effect on teacher morale and student achievement.

IRCEA Conclusions Meeting time is essential. Principals will expect teachers to meet outside their contract day. Communication within a school will be negatively affected. All in-service will need to be offered during the school day requiring a substitute. Planning is essential to good teaching. With the loss of planning time, student achievement will be negatively affected.