Union presses for guaranteed planning time, scheduling changes and class‑size limits; district raises staffing and legal concerns

The Ithaca Teachers Association presented an extensive package addressing time‑to‑work issues: minimum common planning time for inclusion assignments, clarified professional duties for prep time, changes to secondary prep and team time, revisions to Wednesday faculty/PLC scheduling, and proposed class‑size and caseload thresholds.

Why it matters: Several proposals aim to change daily schedules and staffing models and would require either additional staff or a reallocation of existing positions. The district flagged potential unintended consequences — notably staffing availability, impacts on middle‑school team structures, and legal constraints when Individualized Education Program (IEP) obligations are implicated.

Main proposals and district responses - Common planning for inclusion: ITA asked for minimum common planning time tied to inclusion/co‑teaching assignments. District asked for practitioner‑level conversations and data on current common‑planning provision and likely overage costs before agreeing to contract language. - Wednesday meetings and PLCs: ITA sought restructured Wednesday meeting rules (faculty meetings vs. PLCs) to allow centralized agendas and better targeted PD; the district said any change should preserve PLC time that supports co‑planning and recommended a joint redesign discussion so the parties can build a shared model. - Secondary prep and honors/regents preparations: ITA proposed additional release/prep time for teachers who prepare honors or multiple levels of the same content; the district expressed concern about the staffing and scheduling implications and asked for master‑schedule data to quantify the effect. - Class‑size and caseload thresholds: ITA proposed thresholds (models cited from other districts). District cautioned about cost (presented a preliminary $1.2M figure to adjust class sizes as requested) and potential administrative consequences, including incentives that could affect classification decisions; both sides agreed to research comparative contract language and implementation models. - Teacher workday and emergency dismissal parity: ITA requested clearer definitions so staff are not penalized in emergency dismissals that leave some staff on duty longer; district agreed to discuss clarifying language to avoid double‑pay situations and to ensure student safety requirements are preserved.

Outstanding items and next steps Negotiators agreed to convene working groups and to exchange master‑schedule and staffing data. Parties asked practitioners (teachers and administrators) to be involved in deeper design work for inclusion planning time and PLC redesign rather than resolving all details at the bargaining table.

Ending note: Both sides expressed shared goals — more predictable professional time and stronger instructional planning — but noted that translating standards into contract language will require data, pilot designs, and further labor‑management problem‑solving to avoid unintended costs or service disruptions.