Katy ISD outlines teacher planning best practices, protection of planning time

Katy Independent School District administrators presented a districtwide summary of teacher planning and preparation practices during the Aug. 25 board meeting, describing protected planning days, extended planning blocks and teacher-driven collaboration as central to instructional quality.
Deb Hubbell, assistant superintendent for school leadership, told trustees that planning time "is not merely a contractual entitlement, but a professional necessity," and listed practices gathered from campus leaders that districts are using to preserve planning time, including protected planning days and extended blocks of 90 minutes or more. She said principals have used creative coverage, "super specials" days and student holidays at the end of grading periods to create longer blocks for teacher planning.
The presentation said teams typically hold one collaborative planning meeting per week, share a document for lesson planning and use data to drive instruction. Hubbell said the district will continue quarterly reviews with principals to monitor implementation and to gather teacher feedback.
Trustees thanked administrators for the work and asked the district to watch teacher workloads in arts/specials; one trustee reported teachers in her circle had spent "over 40 hours in arts last year," which she said was harming retention and morale. Trustees also discussed a separate innovation — a four-day instructional model piloted elsewhere — and asked the administration to monitor outcomes before considering any large-scale change.
Administrators said the district offers 500 minutes of planning every two weeks in the current schedule (exceeding state requirements), and that the district expanded specials periods at several campuses from 45 to 50 minutes. The presentation noted that principals may allow ARD meetings to occur outside planning times and that teachers may elect not to attend team planning, though such teachers may be required to collaborate with a principal at another mutually agreeable time to maintain campus alignment.
Trustees asked for continued updates; administrators said they will include planning and preparation as part of quarterly principal visits and will continue principal share sessions to promulgate best practices.