Fundamental Friday - Planning Time

Most of the time, classroom teachers in Texas are subject to the scheduling decisions of campus principals.  Most of the time, that is, except for 45 minutes a day. 

State law guarantees classroom teachers a minimum of 450 minutes of planning time every two weeks, in increments no smaller than 45 minutes.  For that period of time, a teacher can be required to stay on campus and work, but what she works on is up to her. She can not be required to attend meetings, or to work on cum folders, or to "help out" in an absent teacher's class. 

The planning time must be within the instructional day, not tacked on after the kids leave. The one exception to that is a primary teacher whose students are released before the rest of the school. 

Teachers can be required to attend meetings or work on specific projects with planning time that is over and above the 450 minutes/2 week minimum requirement.