PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Public Schools (PPS) board members voted Tuesday night on a plan to make up lost instructional time, after the teachers strike last fall and severe weather in January.
Oregon law requires students to have between 900 and 966 hours of instructional time minimum, depending on the grade. However, after some disruptions that cut into that time, the district was compelled to come up with a make-up plan.
Before snow and ice hit Portland mid-January, PPS leaders already added several days to the calendar, due to the teachers strike in November. But after the winter storm forced closures for days, the district found that Kindergarten was short 17 hours, and seniors in high school were short 24.
Initially, for kindergarten specifically, the board was planning to cut 15 minutes of recess and convert it to instructional time for 20 days in April, making up five hours in total. However, a few board members and families raised concerns.
"My mom was a preschool and kindergarten teacher, and you know, play is so essential to their overall learning," said Andrew Scott, the director of the PPS Board of Education. "I actually would be in favor of us straight up violating the Division 22 guidelines this year, and saying, 'You know what? It is more important for our kindergarteners to get the additional 15 minutes of recess than to meet those minimum standards that the state sets.'"
Scott brought forward an amendment to remove the plan to cut recess from the resolution, which passed. Then the board passed the amended resolution on a 5-1 vote. Now, the school district will ask the Oregon Department of Education to waive 14 hours of missed instructional time due to emergency school closures.
As for seniors, the school district made the SAT day a full day, which added two hours of instruction time, and will add one day, May 31, to the senior calendar.
As part of the resolution, the board also approved the use of a required instructional time exemption for staff professional development to be counted towards the minimum hours for seniors at Jefferson and McDaniel High Schools.
To find out more details, click here to see the board meeting agenda.