The school year calendar and daily schedule have always been items of concern for teaching faculty. Teachers believe they have the best sense how the calendar affects teaching and learning. In Michigan, House Bill 5194 would no longer allow teachers to collectively bargain the start and end times for school days and calendar year. The Michigan Education Association (MEA) analysis of the bill reports that “proponents say that superintendents will be able to account for the best interests of the children in crafting the school calendar.” Opponents of the bill argue that teachers “actually have far more interaction with the children and parents” and superintendents are often not long time residents of the community and “may not understand, respect, or value the traditions and culture of the community.” Beyond the K-12 system, some community college faculty also report they no longer have adequate input into the scheduling of annual department course offerings. Administrators at some institutions have taken over annual scheduling with far less input from faculty. Faculty members identify the same problems as the MEA identifies for Michigan K-12 institutions. Administrators new to the institution are not as familiar with local student challenges, including lack of public transportation, weather related traffic problems, and student employment in retail and food service. These local conditions contribute to student preferences for days and times courses are offered. Lack of faculty input into annual course scheduling has led to advanced courses being offered out of sequence with required prerequisite courses, writing courses being offered in time increments not conducive to writing assessment practices, and elective literature courses with a history of low enrollment being offered instead of ones with a history of strong enrollment. Faculty will need to monitor enrollment as well as the effects on teaching and learning in the near future.
Scheduling and its Effects on Teaching and Learning
State: Michigan
Level: Higher Education
Analyst: Roberts, Leslie/Oakland Community College