MCPS Teachers-Contract Question

[Anonymous]

This is my first year in MCPS (coming from Anne Arundel)..teaching secondary...the contract states secondary teachers should not teach more than 5 classes. However, we have advisory every single day for 45 minutes which puts us at technically 6 classes. Is this a contract violation or does it not count because it's advisory? Advisory isn't just a study hall either (if this matters). We are required to teach lessons, usually SEL. Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

[Anonymous]

I am in the same boat. We have been told that since we don't plan the lessons, it doesn't count as a prep/class. Sure feels like a class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

Are you kidding me? Now I can feel even more guilty when I can’t get a sub on sick/personal days and my coworkers are forced to cover. Absolutely absurd.

[Anonymous]

Same here...I'd much rather have 5 minute longer classes than deal with what feels like babysitting during advisory. Our content specialists and team leads don't have advisory and they teach one less class. I'd almost put up with the extra ILT meetings just to teach 4 classes and get paid the $1500 stipend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

I have not gotten the mandatory planning time in two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

Maybe not. Page 44 states that 50% of our time during the student day when we aren’t teaching a class is supposed to be individually managed. So it can’t be duties like advisory and meetings for more than 50%. They have to meet this AND the minimum planning time. I pointed this out to my principal because I’m PT and on the days I cover an advisory or study hall I don’t have to attend team meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

I have not gotten the mandatory planning time in two years.

Have you filed a grievance? Or at least contacted your cluster Uniserv director? We pay big money for union dues and they negotiate out work terms. They need to know when those terms aren’t being met

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same here...I'd much rather have 5 minute longer classes than deal with what feels like babysitting during advisory. Our content specialists and team leads don't have advisory and they teach one less class. I'd almost put up with the extra ILT meetings just to teach 4 classes and get paid the $1500 stipend.

The no advisory is not the case at all schools, so that's nice, but they have unpaid content specialists meetings monthly after school and often meet with admin during planning periods, pass!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

Maybe not. Page 44 states that 50% of our time during the student day when we aren’t teaching a class is supposed to be individually managed. So it can’t be duties like advisory and meetings for more than 50%. They have to meet this AND the minimum planning time. I pointed this out to my principal because I’m PT and on the days I cover an advisory or study hall I don’t have to attend team meetings

50% of non instructional time. Unfortunately advisory is not instruction according to MCEA so basically this just means you get 1 free period a day to yourself,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is my first year in MCPS (coming from Anne Arundel)..teaching secondary...the contract states secondary teachers should not teach more than 5 classes. However, we have advisory every single day for 45 minutes which puts us at technically 6 classes. Is this a contract violation or does it not count because it's advisory? Advisory isn't just a study hall either (if this matters). We are required to teach lessons, usually SEL. Thanks in advance!

Are you in MS or HS? Every day for 45 minutes seems excessive. Our HS has advisory every Wednesday, but it is attached to a different period on a rotating basis. (3 times with 1st, then 2nd, etc.) Lessons are provided. I do those first, then since they are usually too short for the time, that class period get extra time to continue working on my content.

A better way to think about you planning time is that you should be getting 45 minutes per day that is your own choice for how to spend. If you aren’t getting that, find one of your building union reps or EFRs and have a conversation about it with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my first year in MCPS (coming from Anne Arundel)..teaching secondary...the contract states secondary teachers should not teach more than 5 classes. However, we have advisory every single day for 45 minutes which puts us at technically 6 classes. Is this a contract violation or does it not count because it's advisory? Advisory isn't just a study hall either (if this matters). We are required to teach lessons, usually SEL. Thanks in advance!

Are you in MS or HS? Every day for 45 minutes seems excessive. Our HS has advisory every Wednesday, but it is attached to a different period on a rotating basis. (3 times with 1st, then 2nd, etc.) Lessons are provided. I do those first, then since they are usually too short for the time, that class period get extra time to continue working on my content.

A better way to think about you planning time is that you should be getting 45 minutes per day that is your own choice for how to spend. If you aren’t getting that, find one of your building union reps or EFRs and have a conversation about it with them.

MS. Everyone else I've spoken with agrees daily is excessive. They apparently didn't do this at the school last year and it's new this year. None of the teachers are happy about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

Maybe not. Page 44 states that 50% of our time during the student day when we aren’t teaching a class is supposed to be individually managed. So it can’t be duties like advisory and meetings for more than 50%. They have to meet this AND the minimum planning time. I pointed this out to my principal because I’m PT and on the days I cover an advisory or study hall I don’t have to attend team meetings

50% of non instructional time. Unfortunately advisory is not instruction according to MCEA so basically this just means you get 1 free period a day to yourself,

Where is that stated in writing and from whom? We do not have course codes or Synergy gradebooks or even have to create lesson plans for advisory, therefore it is a duty. And 50% of the time we are not teaching the course codes we are assigned has to be individually managed time. Page 44 of the contract. Read it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

Maybe not. Page 44 states that 50% of our time during the student day when we aren’t teaching a class is supposed to be individually managed. So it can’t be duties like advisory and meetings for more than 50%. They have to meet this AND the minimum planning time. I pointed this out to my principal because I’m PT and on the days I cover an advisory or study hall I don’t have to attend team meetings

50% of non instructional time. Unfortunately advisory is not instruction according to MCEA so basically this just means you get 1 free period a day to yourself,

Where is that stated in writing and from whom? We do not have course codes or Synergy gradebooks or even have to create lesson plans for advisory, therefore it is a duty. And 50% of the time we are not teaching the course codes we are assigned has to be individually managed time. Page 44 of the contract. Read it!

You just answered your own question. There is no Synergy code, it is non instructional. Your school has discretion on assigning duties within your day as long as you get 225 minutes of planning time a week. That is exactly five 45 minute periods. One a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Advisory doesn't count, if you do the math, you still get the mandatory minutes of planning a week. FYI you don't get coverage pay for covering it either 🙄

Maybe not. Page 44 states that 50% of our time during the student day when we aren’t teaching a class is supposed to be individually managed. So it can’t be duties like advisory and meetings for more than 50%. They have to meet this AND the minimum planning time. I pointed this out to my principal because I’m PT and on the days I cover an advisory or study hall I don’t have to attend team meetings

50% of non instructional time. Unfortunately advisory is not instruction according to MCEA so basically this just means you get 1 free period a day to yourself,

Where is that stated in writing and from whom? We do not have course codes or Synergy gradebooks or even have to create lesson plans for advisory, therefore it is a duty. And 50% of the time we are not teaching the course codes we are assigned has to be individually managed time. Page 44 of the contract. Read it!

You just answered your own question. There is no Synergy code, it is non instructional. Your school has discretion on assigning duties within your day as long as you get 225 minutes of planning time a week. That is exactly five 45 minute periods. One a day.

I am not an MCPS teacher. That’s ridiculous. How can anybody get their work done in a mere 45 minutes a day?

It shouldn’t be assumed that teachers will get all their work done on their own time.