Wednesday, November 01, 2017

DO YOUR PREP PERIODS BELONG TO YOU?

Teachers are entitled to a duty free lunch period each day and those with a full teaching load are also entitled to a daily self-directed preparation period.

Here is the information from the UFT Chapter Leader Update:

Know your rights about preparation periods
Among the many meaningful rights and professional protections that your contract provides is time carved out each day for teachers to do professional work. Whether you teach elementary, middle or high school, teachers are generally entitled to five periods per week (one per day) for unassigned professional work under Article 7, Sections A–C of the UFT-DOE contract (you must be logged in to view it). It is your choice how to use this time for professional duties that will best enhance your work. A teacher may decide to use preparation periods to write lesson plans; grade papers; analyze student data; research a lesson topic; meet with parents or colleagues; or do other professional responsibilities of their choice. Prep periods are self-directed; you determine what to do during your prep periods. This is a right we fought for and a right that workers without a union do not have. For information about prep period do’s and don’ts, read the Know Your Rights column on prep periods  on the UFT website.


Are your self directed preps and duty free lunch respected by administration? At Middle College High School where I teach, this is not a problem.

I hope these basic rights are not being violated.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

If your prep period is taken by an IEP conference or any other mandated activity you are entitled to coverage pay. Also some schools don't designate prep, lunch and C6 periods leaving them open to be flexible. This is also grievable.

Anonymous said...

Are pre-obs, post-obs, and random admin meetings with you allowed to be during a prep? What about the 6th "pd" period? Some schools have teachers working with small groups.

You should do a piece on bulletin boards because nobody can give straight answer on what they're allowed to make you do.

Anonymous said...

Bulletin boards are up to the teacher to decide. No admin can write you up for how your board looks. That is a fact.

Anonymous said...

Principals in small schools who try to justify their jobs bc they have nothing else to do are writing letters about prep periods.

I hide during my prep with the lights off

If they can’t find you they can’t harass you

Anonymous said...

Can they tell you it has to have comments? Or how many pieces to put up? Or to put up differentiated work?

Anonymous said...

Deblasio just said, dont listen to stats made up by union leaders...agreed.

James Eterno said...

REad the earlier post on the paperwork grievances that were resolved last school year. Clearly bulletin boards were one of those that went in the UFT's favor. Nobody will know if you don't put in the complaint for every single school that is abusing teachers.

Anonymous said...

I consider a nap to be an effective way to best enhance my classroom performance. 😁

Anonymous said...

Where can we find this? Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Admin in my school knows preps are for unassigned professional work. Roseanne McCosh

Anonymous said...

duty free lunch also honored in my school. Roseanne McCosh

James Eterno said...

See October 29 paperwork resolutions posting for information on the bulletin boards and more on what the union has taken on and successfully resolved.

Anonymous said...

The writing on the bulletin board issue is not clear. What can they require you to do? What is not allowed?

James Eterno said...

Discretion of the teacher according to resolution. Covered in contract under Article 21A6. We should not be disciplined for format of bulletin boards.

Anonymous said...

What does format mean? I've never met anyone who could tell us that. It's hard to put yourself on the line like that and fight your admin if you have no idea what your rights are.