For instance, the work is planned and coordinated weekly to ensure the attendance of all key people at grade-level, departmental, and curricular meetings. A planning committee of six teachers and two administrators coordinates the schedule of meetings and activities. A regular schedule is developed so that everyone knows when each meeting will be held every month. Groups working on a special project can request additional time from the planning committee. An agenda is used for each meeting and members are expected to stick to it.
All classes meet, but for a shorter period of time.
Contact time for elementary students still exceeds state and North Central recommendations by nearly 200 minutes a year. The district is concerned about the quantity of classroom time that students receive each week, but also about the quality of education that they receive at each grade level. The district realizes that the program may create child care problems. With the district's encouragement, parents are involved in providing input and advice on how to solve these problems. The deep discussions and the desire to find the best options for our students have been invigorating. . . .