School board begins to review calendar pros and cons

Lots of questions for the GWSD community

[  By Kendra Walker  ]

During a work session on April 22, the Gunnison Watershed School District board began the process of reviewing the pros and cons of the current district calendar and Wednesday early release schedule over the coming year for potential future calendar changes based on their findings. 

Superintendent Dr. Leslie Nichols shared the district’s calendar history and evolution, as well as the reasoning behind the Wednesday early release schedule and benefits to staff and teachers. The board also discussed questions they would like to ask teachers, parents, students and the community related to the district calendar and early release. 

Calendar history

Nichols said that the GWSD has 171 days in the school year, and the required number of days is no fewer than 160 days per the code of Colorado regulations. She said that prior to 1992, GWSD had one calendar with a traditional March spring break. In 1993, CBCS switched to an April break to alleviate chronic absenteeism. However, it was difficult to go from winter holidays to April without a break, so in 1994, CBCS implemented the current calendar with October, February and April breaks to align with the ski resort’s operations. 

Around 2005, the district added the week-long Thanksgiving break based on Western Colorado University expanding its break. 

GWSD initiated the Wednesday early release pilot at Crested Butte Secondary School in 2018, with Crested Butte Elementary following suit in 2020. The district implemented the district-wide early release Wednesday schedule in 2021. 

Wednesday early release

Nichols shared that the early release on Wednesdays is designed to allow teachers more planning time, opportunities for job-embedded professional development and collaborative time within sites and across the district. 

For planning, “We do not provide adequate non-student contact time for our educators to get the job done that they need to do,” said Nichols. “We’re trying to make sure teachers have time they need to grade, plan and meet with families that’s necessary for the job.”

The Wednesday early release schedule typically gives teachers time for planning and collaborative work during the first hour, with the second hour designated for professional development or district/site meetings. 

Nichols shared that currently, teachers have an average of 170-190 minutes of non-student contact time per contract day. However, those minutes are often filled with meetings with students, parents and colleagues. 

“I want the public to realize that teachers don’t just go into their room, shut the door and have this meditative time alone,” said board member Jody Coleman. “They’re constantly in the presence of students or colleagues.”

Nichols agreed. “It is a rare moment that a teacher has a quiet hour in a day for planning time. We’re doing all we can to give them the time to support their needs.”

Nichols said that for teachers to do their jobs well and evolve with new teaching practices, they must also continually learn through collaboration with colleagues and professional development.

“Collective teacher efficacy has the highest impact on student learning,” said Nichols. “When teachers see their influence as a team on student growth and achievement, then the students grow and achieve more.”

Nichols noted that before the district implemented the early release schedule, teacher planning and collaborative opportunities got squished before and after school or scheduled on designated days with substitute teachers instructing students while teachers planned. Under this model, approximately 357 partial days of teacher time was impacted, requiring subs that would cost the district $22,313 and require teachers extra lesson planning for those subs. 

“We’re trying to make this a motivating position and the less we expect outside of school hours, the better,” she said. “Trying to fit more into the workday is where education is right now, and I support that.”

Nichols said that while the district offers after-school programming on Wednesdays, the administration hasn’t been able to keep up with demand primarily due to workforce issues. Currently, CBES has established programming for approximately 75 students per week, through after-school clubs and a mentors partnership between high school students and elementary kids. 

Gunnison Elementary has after-school programming limited to 25 students per grade level. It has partnerships with organizations such as Mountain Roots and other community resources such as the library and Gunnison Rec Center that offer free or tuition-based programs. 

Nichols said the early release allows middle and high school students time to meet with teachers, complete homework, work after-school jobs or mentor/tutor programs, participate in clubs or take a mid-week mental health break. 

Lots of questions

The school board brainstormed questions to ask teachers, parents, students and the community as they conduct research and outreach regarding the calendar this next year. 

“I’d like to understand the pros and cons to having a single district-wide calendar, recognizing the needs and uniqueness of both communities,” said board member Mark Vanderveer. 

Nichols agreed. “Who is impacted by our split calendar? We know there are families who work in one community but live in the other.”

“I’d like to focus our efforts here on the use of time in an academic day to support our mission that all students will be successful,” said Coleman. “Does our calendar support our mission?”

The board was also interested in examining whether Wednesday was the right day for early release, because it can give the sense of two Mondays and two Fridays during the school week. Nichols noted that an early release on Friday is challenging because it provides more risk that students and teachers will check out early for the weekend or vacations. 

Board member Mandy Roberts noted she’s heard feedback that teachers are not getting the planning time they need, despite the early release schedule. “I’m curious to know if this does help teachers, is early release time serving you the way it’s intended?”

“We’ve also heard from teachers who would prefer it in the morning or a different day, and some that prefer five full days,” said board member Anne Brookhart. “I’d like to know from teachers, how would you feel about taking away that time, no more Wednesday early release?”

The board also wanted to know the impacts of potentially having early release for the secondary schools but not the elementary schools.

The board did express concern that not all students and families have easy access or financial ability to participate in the limited after-school programs. Brookhart asked, “How could we get more community involvement, more volunteers to expand the Wednesday enrichment programs?” Coleman also suggested looking into the needs of the Spanish-speaking community. 

Other questions related to asking parents about attendance and behavior trends caused by the early release schedule, what students are doing with their time on Wednesdays and what they are doing from 3:30 until 5 p.m. on other school days before their parents finish work.

Roberts also noted looking into test scores and achievement data before and since the Wednesday early release schedule was implemented.

The board suggested putting out a basic survey with their questions for teachers and administration, parents, students and the community. 

“I’m a skeptic that this is all going to line up and give us a very clear answer,” Vanderveer cautioned. “What calendar creates the most positive learning experience?”

“And what is a successful student…the highest score on achievement, or that they are resilient and flexible, collaborative, happy humans who have options and agency as adults?” asked Nichols. 

While there are still many unanswered questions and unknowns, the board will continue to review how the calendar and early release schedule impacts the Gunnison Watershed community.