VOLUNTARY SUMMER PLANNING DAYS 2024

FAQ

Updated 06.14.2024

Summer voluntary common planning days are being provided utilizing ESSER funds from June 3- July 31, 2024. There will be a total of ten days for classroom teachers, Tier 1 Intervention teachers, select resource teachers and coaches. CTA President Clinton McCracken asked district leadership for clarification about the summer planning days.  

Key Points: 

  • Principals cannot create a schedule. Teachers can come up with their schedules with their teams.

  • Principals cannot deny remote work. Teachers can do the days remotely.

  • Principlas can provide a list of examples for deliverables, however they cannot provide an agenda and checklist. 

  • Teachers are not required to be in front of the camera for six hours or have their camera on during their planning time.  

  • While principals and coaches can be part of the meetings it is not a requirement. 

 

Below are the questions submitted by our members and the district response to the questions.

 

1. What if the teacher is a plc of one? How does the virtual work then?  

This will be principal discretion—The log of planning (whatever is agreed upon with the teacher is still required).  We would also suggest that the school be creative in a variety of ways.  For instance—specials teachers on the elementary level could plan lessons in conjunction with grade level teams to support core instruction—secondary singletons could plan for vertical alignment and support the planning for prerequisite or future courses in the progression.

 

2. Will teachers who dual-enroll teach at a high school under OTC be able to receive these days?  

To remain consistent with the recent practices, OTC teachers are not eligible for the planning days.

 

3. Do we know if the curriculum department will be changing CRMs? 

The CRMs will be published for Q1 (24-25) school year by the end of post planning.  Any additional adjustments beyond a publication date will include an alert to all instructional staff.   This will not be an obstacle for summer planning. 

 

4. If you have a very small team and the one other person can’t during the week can you plan alone?  

This will be principal discretion.

 

5. What if the rest of the team does not want to participate?  

As the days are voluntary, this too will be principal discretion.

 

6. Can it be FTF with your team off campus if they can only do a Friday when school is closed?  

Off campus are principal discretion -Schools are closed on Fridays; that is a district non-negotiable.  

 

7. Can we clarify if the payment of these hours will match the pay calendar posted on OCPS for summer dates? Basically, asking if we get paid based on the period or sometime way later as in the past.

If all the process is done correctly and timely then yes they will be paid according to the posted payroll calendar. 

If the teacher is a current employee, but is currently assigned to another school – the new school would send a PARF (Personnel Action Request Form) to employment services asking them to set up the common planning job for the employee at the new school.   Employment Services may also be looking to confirm the employee is transferring to that school before setting up the common planning job. 

 

If the teacher is not a current employee – but will have a start date at the new school on August 2nd – then they should follow the instructions in the memo about common planning for payment.  They would not receive payment until August.   They must have cleared PREO and be confirmed to start before they are allowed to participate in common planning. The payment is based on the posted payroll deadlines online, then when the PARF is submitted by the school/work location to HR, then when HR creates the position, when the employee enters their time, and then the approver approves that time.   Of course, the Employment Payment Request form for those in an “inactive position” must be submitted to esserplanningdays@ocps.net to prevent delay in pay.  These employees can’t be paid until the first regularly scheduled paycheck for the year. 

 

8. Are SLPs eligible for the Summer Planning Days? 

To remain consistent with the recent practices, SLPs are not eligible for the planning days.

 

9. Elementary Art, music and PE have the same teams but totally teach different subjects. Can they plan separately? 

This will be principal discretion; however, if possible they could create cross-curricular units in coordination with core content teachers.

 

10. What does “select resource teachers and coaches” mean?  

These refer to coaches that directly impact the PLCs with planning duties throughout the year.  A resource teacher who serves as a dean of students is not eligible for the planning days (as an example).

 

11. Are instructional coaches included?  

Yes

 

12. Does this mean they have to tell us all of our preps, not just one, before summer, so we know if we have to plan with a plc?

This person is asking how they can plan if they don’t know all their preps.  It is my understanding that instructors are to be notified of their assignments prior to the end of post planning and should be contacted in a timely manner if changes are made over the summer.  Since planning days are available in both June and July, we would hope that not many major adjustments would impact the teachers planning opportunities.  

 

13. Do teachers have to be in front of the camera for six hours?

No, teachers do not have to be on camera for six hours. Teachers are expected to be on camera while planning with their teams. When teachers are doing independent work, they are not expected to be in front of the camera. In addition, if the team is having a discussion and the teacher needs to step away from the computer, the camera can be turned off.