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Study group recommends six measures to protect elementary planning time
Summary
A WJCC elementary planning-time study group recommended six changes to define, protect and strengthen collaborative and individual planning time across elementary schools; principals will form school-based plans for fall implementation.
Robin Ford, the district's chief academic officer, presented findings from a three-month elementary planning-time study group at the July 7 work session.
The study group included 36 representatives from the nine elementary schools (administrators and teachers across grade levels and instructional roles). Staff held in-person listening sessions (119 staff participated) and received 63 responses to an instructional-staff survey.
Ford said the group identified three core themes: teachers value both collaborative and individual planning time and time itself is the primary barrier to effectiveness; effective planning requires clear purpose, structure and alignment to student needs; and schools need stronger systems for communication and resource sharing to support planning. From that work, the group recommended six priorities: define and protect planning time; strengthen collaborative planning; ensure effective individual planning time; balance consistency with flexibility; improve systems and structures; and strengthen leadership and accountability.
Ford said schools will form building-specific plans that align to school size and staffing; strategies may include using permanent substitutes for additional planning time and training support staff to provide enrichment instruction.
Next steps: administrators will support building teams to implement expectations for collaborative and individual planning time during the 2026'27 school year and central departments will provide implementation supports and professional learning.
