Schedule Configuration
"The master schedule is not just a time management system; it's a belief system."
- Karin Chenoweth, Schools That Succeed: How Educators Marshal the Power of Systems for Improvement
Throughout the pandemic, schools will likely plan and implement various schedules depending on guidance and recommendations provided by health departments, government officials, and local stakeholders. Many predict rolling school closures depending on the resurgence of exponential positive cases of COVID-19. School officials will need to plan accordingly, communicate the plan to all stakeholders, and ensure that systems can move as coherently as possible among the various stages.
If we have learned nothing else during our previous extended school closures, the inequities glare among our communities, families, and children. Designing schedules that address the specific needs of our children, colleagues, and communities reflects what we as educators recognize, value, and advocate to remedy. With each decision we make, there are benefits and costs, but one thing is clear: doing the best we can for as many as we can is no longer enough. We are shifting from emergency education to customized learning experiences, and we must intentionally design schedules that facilitate this expectation.
Extended Day - Evening options
Saturday programming - three-day rotation
1/2 day rotation
phasing
impact on pacing of curriculum
Rotate
Learners report to school buildings one day or two days per week at all levels
Assignments and materials to support learning provided for days when learning remotely
One day per week for teacher planning and professional development
Specific Group
District designates specific groups of students to report to schools (i.e., elementary, special education, English learners, low income, children of essential employees, etc.)
Other students learn remotely with provided materials
Choice
District surveys families to identify learning environment preferences
District designs schedule configuration based on feedback from families to offer in-person, online, and blended learning opportunities for all children, while providing all resources needed for accessing content.
Half & Half
Half of students report to school building for four days
Half of students learn remotely for four days
Groups alternate every week
One day per week for teacher planning and professional development
Pros
Rotate
Provides opportunity for smaller groups of students to meet each day
Provides opportunity for teachers to plan instruction and participate in professional development on a weekly, ongoing basis in a "just-in-time" manner
May not require additional staffing in order to implement
All children receive equal access to in-person instruction
May be implemented in current red and yellow phases with additional safety provisions
Specific Group
Customized based on district-established criteria
Because younger students have more trouble processing content delivered via online learning, this option provides an opportunity to address this need.
Can ensure that each receives what they need when they need it (equity)
Depending on grouping of students, can likely be implemented in red and yellow phases with additional safety provisions
May not require additional staffing in order to implement
Choice
Half & Half
Cons