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Parents and teachers raise concerns about proposed 8‑section elementary schedule; board schedules planning session
Summary
Multiple staff and community members urged the board to keep a seven‑section specials schedule, arguing an eight‑section day reduces transition and prep time, complicates shared spaces and harms arts, library and PE programming; the board scheduled a Friday planning session to review options.
At the April 9 meeting members of the public, teachers and school staff urged the Chandler Unified School District governing board to reject a proposed eight‑section elementary special‑area schedule and retain a seven‑section model that preserves transition time and planning for specials teachers.
Multiple speakers — including music, media and library specialists and parent volunteers — addressed the board during public comment. Music teacher Cameron Estrella of Riggs Elementary told the board an eight‑section schedule (which district staff had proposed for planning review) would leave elementary special‑area teachers with insufficient setup and transition time and would be “inequitable” for fifth‑ and sixth‑grade teachers who would remain on block schedules. Estrella said the eight‑section layout eliminates a five‑minute buffer between classes, creates schedule conflicts with shared physical‑education and lunch spaces, and would leave specialists unable to set up instruments and materials.
Other commenters who identified themselves as media specialists and library staff said the eight‑section day would make it hard to complete essential tasks such as checking in books, preparing makerspace and project‑based materials, and addressing basic student needs (including restroom breaks and nursing‑parent accommodations). Multiple speakers said the seven‑section model, piloted at some sites last year, offered a manageable balance between classroom planning time and specials instruction and allowed for the five‑minute buffer that enables calm transitions.
A CT Liberty speaker and other commenters asked the board to seek direct, site‑level input rather than adopt a one‑size‑fits‑all model; they pointed to differences in campus size, staffing and extracurricular duties as reasons to preserve local flexibility. Board president Patty Serrano clarified that the discussion would continue: she reminded the public that the district had posted materials about planning time and that the board scheduled a planning session for Friday, April 11, to receive a formal presentation and discuss next steps. Serrano also reiterated that no policy vote would be taken at the April 9 regular meeting.
The board did not act during the April 9 meeting. Public commenters requested that district leadership and the governing board consider site differences and the workload of specials teachers when evaluating any schedule change.
Sources: public comments at Chandler Unified School District Governing Board meeting, April 9, 2025.
