Every teacher is entitled to a duty-free lunch and planning and preparation time. Except for a few minor changes made in the 1995 rewrite of the Texas Education Code, the statutes have essentially remained the same.
Duty-free lunch – Texas Education Code, Sec. 21.405 By law, each classroom teacher and full-time librarian gets at least a 30-minute lunch period “free from all duties and responsibilities connected with the instruction and supervision of students.” According to a Texas Attorney General opinion, the term “duty” would include a directive that teachers remain on campus during lunch, because it would relate to student instruction or supervision. Districts cannot require teachers to stay on campus during their 30-minute lunch even if the campus is “closed” for students.
The law provides exceptions—personnel shortages, extreme economic conditions or unavoidable/unforeseen circumstances—which give districts the right to require teachers to supervise lunches, but not more than one time per week.
The rules adopted by the commissioner of education set the bar very high before a district can assign a teacher to lunch duty. Scheduling problems do not create unforeseen circumstances. They exist when an epidemic, illness, or natural or man-made disaster leaves no one available to do the duty. An extreme economic condition exists when hiring a person to supervise lunch would cause the district to raise taxes to the extent that the district might face a tax roll-back election. A personnel shortage exists only after all available nonteaching personnel—superintendent and business manager included—have been assigned to the duty and the district has diligently recruited community volunteers to help.
Planning and preparation time – Texas Education Code, Sec. 21.404 The law entitles every teacher to planning and preparation time, during which the district can require the teacher to engage in no activity other than parent-teacher conferences, evaluating student work, and planning. Teachers must have at least 450 minutes of planning time every two weeks in increments of not less than 45 minutes within the instructional day.
Examples:
A teacher could have five 90-minute conference periods within a two-week period, instead of a 45-minute conference period each day. A district can provide 50- minute blocks of planning time daily, and exceed the minimum requirement, but it could not provide 50 minutes one day and 40 minutes the next.
A district cannot schedule a 7:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m. instructional day, and then give teachers 3:15 p.m.-4:00 p.m. to plan after the students leave.
Conference period cases often involve requirements for group planning or staff development during planning periods. According to the commissioner of education, if a district gives teachers no more than the statutory minimum planning time, the district cannot ask teachers to engage in group-planning during one of those planning periods.
Example:
A district that schedules 50-minute planning periods every day could ask teachers to plan as a group one day every two weeks, but the district could not take one planning period for group planning and another for staff development.
Hi all, I am looking for a muslim lady teacher and fitness trainer in st louis,mo schools whose (nick)name is amina(05),age 37, if anybody knows her please email me at [email removed]
Hi. I'm looking for any openings for an elementary music teacher in the STL area. I checked moteachingjobs, moreap, etc. I know it's a bit early. If anyone has heard of openings that may come about, please respond. I will have one year under my belt after this school year, by the way.
On 1/06/07, mo/music wrote: > Hi. I'm looking for any openings for an elementary music > teacher in the STL area. I checked moteachingjobs, moreap, > etc. I know it's a bit early. If anyone has heard of > openings that may come about, please respond. I will have > one year under my belt after this school year, by the way. CHECK WITH RIVER ROADS LUTHERAN SCHOOL ON VERONICA AVENUE. ST. LOUIS - NORTH COUNTY (314)388-0300.
Hi I am looking for people who believe they were terminated without just cause by The Special School District of St. Louis County. I was not allowed to return to work this past school year because I had filed a disability complaint aganist Special District following the 2004 school year this angered the superintendent who in spite of the request of my immediate supervisor would not allow me to return to my job. Further the Missouri NEA refused to speak to the Missouri Human Rights Commission I have all this in writing. Can anyone help me return to my job Little Chief
I am in the same position. I filed 2 charges with EEOC because I received wrongful negative ratings suddnely by a black female supervisor, contacted EEOC, and it back fired, but the EEOC will soon investigate. Fight for your rights, and don't let them win. You are a good teacher, and I am a good employee, stand up. I am
On 3/18/08, Bruce wrote: > I am in the same position. I filed 2 charges with EEOC because I > received wrongful negative ratings suddnely by a black female > supervisor, contacted EEOC, and it back fired, but the EEOC will > soon investigate. Fight for your rights, and don't let them win. > You are a good teacher, and I am a good employee, stand up. I am
Hi all! I am seeking openings in elementary art in Jefferson County and St. Francois County. I will have one year in the elementary art classroom and I love to incorporate technology through digital cameras and cross curricular lessons whenever I can.
Please let me know if you are aware of any openings. I would be grateful.
I am a project manager with a program called Asthma 411; a joint project with the St. Louis Regional Asthma Consortium and St. Louis University. We have developed an integrated curriculum that address the Missouri Show Me Standards and enhances teaching in the core subjects using asthma as a real-world learning example.
We are looking for 4th and 5th grade teachers, specifically in the St. Louis Public Schools and the near North County school districts who would be interested in teaching this curriculum. If you are interested and/or if you have any questions, please contact me at [email removed].
On 1/23/07, L/MO nfm wrote: > On 1/23/07, L/MO wrote: >> What kinds of things do you want to know. I teach in a >> district that borders Grain Valley. >> It is a rapidly growing district....close to a larger >> suburb, but still with that small town feel. >> Pay isn't great, but not terrible either. >> >> I know a girls coach from there. >> >> Lisa
What district do you work in? There is a job opening for the High School Principal...just wanted any information about C/O, staff, students, academics, overall feel of the educational sysetem there.
I am a third grade teacher in the Blue Springs School District. I think it has somewhat of a good ole boy network. The girls coach that I know is happy there though. They do have asst. Principals already in place....I don't know if you would be walking in to one of those situations where you took a job from someone else who wanted it or not.
I think Grain Valley has some growing pains....old versus new type of thing.
Curriculum is way behind the times.....in my masters classes I had the opportunity to look at their high school curriculum guides.....not good.
Look at it this way....lots of room for growth and opportunity.
> On 1/23/07, L/MO nfm wrote: >> On 1/23/07, L/MO wrote: >>> What kinds of things do you want to know. I teach in a >>> district that borders Grain Valley. >>> It is a rapidly growing district....close to a larger >>> suburb, but still with that small town feel. >>> Pay isn't great, but not terrible either. >>> >>> I know a girls coach from there. >>> >>> Lisa > > What district do you work in? There is a job opening for the > High School Principal...just wanted any information about C/O, > staff, students, academics, overall feel of the educational > sysetem there. > > Thanks
On 1/06/07, mo/music wrote:
> Hi. I'm looking for any openings for an elementary music
> teacher in the STL area. I checked moteachingjobs, moreap,
> etc. I know it's a bit early. If anyone has heard of
> openings that may come about, please respond. I will have
> one year under my belt af...See More