ARTICLE 19 - PREPARATION PERIODS

West Warwick School District

Section 1: The Committee will provide one (1) uninterrupted preparation period per day for secondary teachers. It is understood that no teacher at the secondary level, to include the middle school, will be required to teach more than five (5) periods per school day. Neither the preparation period nor the scheduled teaching periods will include the before and/or after times set forth in Article 10. All secondary teachers assigned to teach in “team” situations shall be assigned, where practicable, both common teaching time and a common preparation period. In addition, all such teachers shall be equitably provided a minimum of two (2) “team planning” periods in a six (6) day rotation.

Section 2: The Committee will provide one (1) uninterrupted preparation period per day of a minimum of forty-five (45) minutes for all elementary teachers exclusive of those elementary teachers who service less than full-day student programs. Neither the preparation period nor the scheduled teaching periods will include the before and/or after times set forth in Article 10.

Section 3: Preparation periods shall be used for professional preparation and planning; however, teachers shall be free to leave the building during their unassigned teaching/supervision/duty time upon direct notification to the office in order to conduct personal or professional business.

Documented chronic misuse of preparation periods may be subject to disciplinary action. A teacher may challenge such disciplinary action pursuant to the grievance procedure.

Section 4 – Voluntary Additional Teaching Assignments:

(a) Upon the Superintendent’s approval and consultation with the Alliance President, teachers may voluntarily accept an assignment to a sixth (6th) teaching period in the event scheduling in a particular school or program requires such additional service. The assignment of the additional teaching period shall be in lieu of the teacher’s regularly scheduled preparation period. Teachers who accept additional teaching assignments under this Section shall be compensated for a full- year course at the teacher’s step placement on the Basic Salary Schedule pursuant to Article 37 x 0.20. Compensation for courses of shorter than full year terms shall be pro-rated accordingly.

(b) No more than one (1) additional teaching period shall be assigned in any subject area until all teachers on the recall list who are certified to perform those duties are provided the option to accept the assignment at a minimum of a 0.50 FTE status.

(c) Additional teaching periods shall be assigned in seniority order, beginning with the most senior certified teacher, providing the right of first refusal to teachers who are assigned to the instructional area/department of the course.

(d) The Committee and the Alliance recognize that, at times, the need arises to add courses to the schedule after the school year has begun and after teaching schedules are assigned for the upcoming school year. When new classes/sections are added after August 15 of a given year, the administration shall determine the specific class/course and period to schedule any new, “additional” classes. In this instance, staffing the voluntary additional teaching assignment may be made per right of first refusal to teachers who can be made available during the instructional period in a manner that avoids rescheduling/reassigning other teachers’ classes.

The administration shall not purposely or unreasonably delay the start of any new additional teaching section in order to diminish opportunities from among all eligible teachers.