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Livingston educators present reimagined K–5 schedule, district to launch Aug. 31
Summary
District leaders presented a two‑year implementation plan for a single, aligned K–5 schedule that increases small‑group instruction and common planning time; staff said the schedule launches Aug. 31 and will be supported by professional development, microlearning videos and iterative feedback.
At a Livingston Board of Education meeting, district instructional leaders presented a reimagined K–5 elementary schedule they say will increase purposeful small‑group instruction, protect core instructional minutes and give teachers more common planning time.
"This has truly been a lot of minds together and a lot of commitment and dedication," said Angelina Rodriguez, the district's director of elementary education, who led the presentation and said the work took about 13 months. She described a process of survey work, focus groups that included about 48 staff members, building‑level planning and a full‑staff March session that informed the new design.
Why it matters: Presenters said the schedule aims to reduce variation in what children experience across the district and to make the schedule on paper match the schedule teachers live each day. The district emphasized support for teachers through professional development and materials so classrooms can use newly carved‑out small‑group time for targeted intervention or enrichment.
What the plan would change: Presenters described repurposing the traditional morning meeting into a dedicated classroom meeting after lunch and recess to avoid losing instructional minutes in the morning; they said ELA and math blocks would be lengthened so teachers can plan small‑group work within the general education setting. For example, presenters described K–2 language arts at about 120 minutes daily and math blocks near 80 minutes with a 50/30 split for whole‑group instruction and small‑group work.
Implementation and support: The district plans to launch the schedule Aug. 31 and run a two‑year implementation with ongoing adjustments based on feedback. Staff described multiple supports: building principals will set detailed daily schedules, supervisors and intervention teams will provide PD and materials, and the district will release microlearning videos under a new initiative called "LivTalk" to give teachers quick, practical guidance.
Measuring success and next steps: Presenters said the district will use universal screeners, adaptive screeners and existing benchmarks to monitor changes in student growth over time and that some benefits — such as improved collaboration — are measurable at the classroom level as early implementation data becomes available. Board members asked for follow‑up reports; presenters agreed to return with data and updates.
The board did not take a formal vote on the schedule itself during the meeting; the presentation preceded several routine consent motions that the board later approved by roll call.
