Teachers protest additional class time

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It was a peaceful protest - but a protest nonetheless.

Some Hillsborough County high school teachers are not happy about the school board's plan to increase their instruction time, and they let the school board know at a Tuesday evening meeting.

The school board's plan is to increase instruction time from 250 to 300 minutes a day, effectively adding a full class a day to what teachers say is already a busy schedule.

"The problem with adding an additional period, six out of seven instead of five out of seven, is you are really cutting the teachers' planning period in half,'' said Shannon Peck, an honors history and archeology teacher at Freedom High in Tampa. "And that planning period is essential for not only grading, but for developing effective lesson plans, being an effective teacher in the classroom."

Teachers from 25 schools in the county held a peaceful protest before the board meeting to review its plan to add the extra time to the teachers' day.

Dr. David Steele, general director for secondary education in Hillsborough County, said the move is necessary. He added it would lower the number of uncertified teachers in the district, address the class size amendment at a time when the number of first-time teachers is dropping and save the district close to $28 million.

"Obviously saving $28 million is not insignificant,'' he said, adding that the current county-teacher contract agreement already spells out a 300-minute day that happens to not be enforced.

"But having to fill the need for this class size reduction, the need for new teachers. We just didn't know where they were going to be."

The increased instruction time is scheduled to go into effect for the 2007-08 school year.

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