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Hawkins County Board discusses weekly early-release to add teacher planning time
Summary
School staff proposed an hour-long early release on Wednesdays for teacher planning and tutoring, with four other days lengthened by 13 minutes to preserve total weekly instructional minutes. The proposal is under discussion and not finalized.
Hawkins County school leaders on a February 2025 Board of Education meeting discussed a proposal to set aside an hour midweek for teacher planning and a simultaneous tutoring block for students.
The proposal, presented during the reports segment by district staff, would make Wednesdays an early-release day with students dismissed an hour earlier so teachers could use a guaranteed planning block for weekly data review, instructional adjustments and focused collaboration. The district would compensate those minutes by extending the instructional day by 13 minutes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; buses would run at the same times each day so bus riders would still be on campus for the midweek hour.
Board members and staff said the intent is to give teachers a consistent, separate time for data analysis and “resulting instructional changes.” Mr. Hicks, who presented the plan to the board, described the change as aimed at enabling “planning and preparation [that] is equal to or greater than the amount of effort that a teacher spends in front of his or her students today.” He said the proposal is still under consideration and that the calendar committee will share drafts and collect feedback before a final decision.
Board members asked that principals and teachers be involved in the discussion. One member said several people had already contacted them opposed to the idea; Hicks replied that the calendar committee and principals had been consulted and that HCEA and the committee were “largely in support of it.” Staff said a survey will be distributed and additional communication to parents and school staff will follow if the board moves the proposal forward.
The board did not take a formal vote on the scheduling proposal during the meeting. District staff asked members to provide questions, concerns or support by email as the plan is refined for public review and possible inclusion on next year’s calendar.
