LYNN — The school committee has voted unanimously to approve a proposal to safeguard professional learning time (PLT) at the elementary level for the 2021-22 school year by allowing for a one-hour early release every Wednesday.
This coincides with the new high school schedule that also has an early release on Wednesdays, both of which were approved during Thursday night’s meeting.
According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), elementary students are required to receive 900 hours of learning per year, and the Lynn district has exceeded that at 960 hours.
With this new schedule, students will still. At 911 hours, exceed that number.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler said within the last year, PLT time has been consistent during remote learning and has been deemed very successful, so the district wants to continue that in the future.
“This is a scenario where grade level, or content teams, come together frequently to analyze data, interrogate their practice, discuss problems of practice, share best practices, and then go back and practice this in the classrooms,” Tutwiler said. “And then they come back the following week and respond.”
This is a critical feature that Tutwiler said is robust in high-performing schools, and said the DESE turnaround and literature includes professional learning time.
“It is a research-based practice that really elevates student outcomes by allowing for, and protecting, the professional space for teachers,” Tutwiler said.
Historically, Tutwiler said the district has done this unsuccessfully and without the degree of frequency and predictability needed to be successful.
In the past, substitutes were hired to cover a teacher’s class while teachers met, which Tutwiler said was challenging.
With a shallow pool of substitutes who get to choose the school where they fill in, Tutwiler said that while some schools may have enough substitutes to fill in for teachers during PLT time, others may not, and would have to cancel that PLT time.
The schedules with remote learning allowed for PLT time weekly without challenge. Without that PLT time, Tutwiler said the learning and coloration among staff wouldn’t have happened as robustly. This new schedule will be a pilot program for PLT time during early release on Wednesdays.
With PLT time built into the schedule, Tutwiler said teachers will be able to incorporate more blended learning, which he said is a very important resource.
“I really feel like this is an important feature to have at the elementary level,” Tutwiler said.
Deputy Superintendent of Schools Deb Ruggiero said teachers need this PLT time because it will “strengthen the time that students are in school to a level that we should see improvement.”
In an effort to offer more resource hours for students on Individualized Education Plans, Tutwiler said a learning support afterschool center will be available — on days that aren’t an early release day — to provide an additional opportunity for resources.
This schedule will be implemented in the fall.
Allysha Dunnigan can be reached at [email protected]
