Sounds nice. So we'll be having three hours less class each week? Shouldn't we leave this sort of thing up to localities?

Actually, it means that they'll have time to plan lessons rather than to go to meetings. Right now, too much time within a finite work day is spent doing things other than teaching or planning what to teach to our children.

Obviously an NEA backed cost increase for tax paying parents. Less work,same pay and no supervision. Very sneaky at that, adding it to what originally was supposedly a simple directive, they surely had this in mind as the next step.

The planning process as part of a teachers job is a historic function to begin with. Now they need "special time off" to perform an existing job function they are already under contract to complete?

School boards will now have to write this into every teachers contract and then assume that none of them are abusing their "special time off" and then wind up with Union complaints of not getting their "special time off" when they think they need it. Next step - this "special time off" becomes cummulitive and part of some vacation package, with buy back provisions.

Now the State must micro-manage the how school boards deal with their teachers - as well as give teachers "self-directed" "special time off"(approx. 108 hours over 36 weeks) from a 9 month a year job.

I think the power of the nea/vea is greatly exxagerated. THink about it this way. Teachers are actually more likely to leave a school, school district, or the profession for working conditions issues than due to money. Unfortunately far too many sb's and the GA don't seem to understand that and so they throw more money to them. Teachers really do need time to plan a day. You may think kids show up and teachers just teach. They must have a plan, and often individualized plans. Waldo does make a fair point that it should be a local issue. Unfortunately SB's aren't doing it and no one speaks up for the teachers. This will be done.

Teachers need someone to speak up for them. Local school boards are more and more allowing the Administration run the show. Whatever is recommended just go along and ask no questions. Sadly there are administrators that have little respect for teachers and show no concern or compassion for the job a teacher has to do. In one area they are now making teachers use their planning time to fill in for absent teachers rather than to hire qualified subs. They say money is the reason for the new order but there is plenty of money for administration to have their little "perks". If you don't think this is a GREAT bill to pass obviously you do not personally know a Virginia teacher!