Board adopts 2025-26 calendar after debate over elementary PLCs and teacher plan time

The Board of Education approved the district'wide calendar for the 2025-26 school year on Wednesday after public commenters and several teachers urged the board to preserve elementary professional learning community (PLC) time without eroding teachers'daily plan periods.

The calendar was developed by the district calendar committee and endorsed by Joint Council before coming to the board. Director Ott moved adoption; the board approved the calendar by roll call.

Why it mattered: Several teachers, calendar-committee members and CSEA representatives told the board that the district's changes this year (embedding PLC time rather than scheduling separate PLC days) have caused PLC work to be placed in teachers'individual plan time, reducing uninterrupted planning for lesson preparation and grading.

Voices from the public - Carmen Moyer, CSEA treasurer and second-grade teacher at Keller Elementary, told the board: "On paper elementary teachers get 110 minutes of planned time... in actuality on average we get about 85 minutes a day, which is just barely over that 80 minutes." She urged the board not to cut plan time. - Monica Peeler, a second-grade teacher and dyslexia therapist, said: "Plan time for educators is sacred. It involves long term and short term planning, grading, creating content, designing lessons..." and asked the board to return calendars to the calendar committee if the issue was not addressed. - Jackson Hoskinson (teacher at McAuliffe), explained how PLCs function: "PLCs are designed around the four guiding questions: What do we want students to know and be able to do? How will we know if they've learned it? What do we do when they haven't learned it? And how do we extend learning for those who have already proved proficiency?" He argued true PLC work requires longer collaborative sessions than many buildings currently schedule.

Administration response and guidance The district said the committee proposed an embedded PLC model with a double plan period during the week in many buildings. Chief-level staff said principals are using a mix of double plan periods, early release with subs, and schedule adjustments to ensure PLCs occur without eliminating teachers'individual plan time. The district encouraged staff to raise site-specific issues through building administration and Joint Council so central staff can work with principals to remedy scheduling problems.

Board discussion and next steps Board members noted the calendar committee included teacher representatives and that survey results showed broad support for some elements (for example, a fall break). Several members urged teachers to document specific instances where PLCs are displacing plan time so principals and the district can intervene.

Votes at the meeting - Motion: "The Board of Education approves the proposed calendar for 2025-26 as submitted by the administration." (mover: Director Ott). Approved by roll call.

Ending: The board adopted the 2025-26 calendar but asked district staff to continue addressing teacher concerns about PLC scheduling at the school level. The calendar committee and Joint Council will be available for future revisions, and the district said it will consider adjustments (including conference timing and preschool alignment) in subsequent calendar cycles.