Teachers Give Edge to Calendar Change

A slim majority of teachers at Palisades Charter High School favored a change to the school’s academic calendar, according to a United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) vote held in early December. Although the PaliHi board approved the calendar change in mid-November, the teachers’ union insisted that any such change would be subject to negotiation and would have to be approved by its members. Of the school’s 115 teachers, more than 100 are UTLA members. A UTLA ballot asked members to either reject the calendar change or approve the calendar change ‘subject to negotiation.’ Of the 101 UTLA members who voted, 49 teachers rejected the change; 52 approved it. If the change is ultimately approved, classes in the 2007-2008 school year will start August 20 and end June 6, rather than beginning after Labor Day and ending in late June. Also, the first semester would end before winter break, rather than ending weeks after winter break. The school’s Policy Committee proposed the change as a way of raising student achievement. Committee members argued that the calendar would give Advanced Placement students two weeks of additional classroom instruction before the test. Members also argued that ending classes before winter break would increase student performance on final exams. The committee polled the school’s stakeholders in October. Majorities of students and parents opposed changing the calendar. Hundreds of students protested the board decision by walking out of class in November. And many parents attended board meetings to voice their strong disapproval of the change. However, 63 percent of teachers and classified employees approved the change. Despite vocal opposition from parents and students at its November board meeting, the governing board passed the controversial calendar in a 7-2 vote and cited teacher support as a reason to override student and parent opposition. But critics of the change disregarded the faculty data because 52 teachers did not participate in the poll. Referring to the December vote, UTLA Chapter Chair and Pali teacher Joi Tanita said, ‘We felt that this was a more complete vote. I would say that it is a soft majority. It’s a split vote.’ In November, the school estimated that the new calendar could cost the school as much as $80,000, but that estimate does not include any salary change or bonus for teachers. Granada Hills Charter High School gave teachers a $1,000 bonus after changing the school’s calendar. And it is expected that UTLA will ask for compensation for the change at PaliHi when negotiations resume on January 12. Most public schools on the East Coast use this proposed calendar, but the Los Angeles Unified School District does not. PaliHi parents with students at other public schools such as Palisades Charter Elementary or Paul Revere Middle School expressed concern at PaliHi board meetings about the effect of the conflicting schedules on summer and winter vacations. ——– Reporting by Max Taves, Staff Writer. To contact, send e-mail to reporter@palipost.com.