Schools in New York are changing their work schedule: what you need to know

As the Gothamist, there will be a slight change in class schedules for students in all five New York City boroughs this year. Some schools will start earlier, while others will start later.

The schedule changes are designed to support professional development and planning, as included in the city's new contract with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), which was approved this summer.

At PS 154 Elementary School in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, the first lessons on Mondays will begin at 8:8 am and the rest of the week at 20:8 am, which differs from the previous schedule, when classes began at 30:2 am. Students at this school will finish classes at 20:2 on Monday and 40:2 on Tuesday, instead of last year's 50:XNUMX.

Contract features

Parents from other schools also reported small changes. Representatives of the city's Department of Education said that these changes are related to the new contract.

“Each school determines its own schedule, provided that the working day for teachers does not start before 8 am and does not end after 3:45 (or 4:20 on certain days for high schools with one shift) in accordance with the contract with UFT” , said a spokesman for the Department of Education.

On the subject: New York School Calendar for the next 3 school years

Historically, city educational officials have had the power to make adjustments to class schedules within the limits set by the teachers' contract.

According to UFT, as part of a contract approved this summer, each school's staff could vote on one of several options for allocating the 100 minutes needed each week for professional development and planning. Staff can set this time at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day, or a combination of the two.

Parents' reaction

“The length of the school day for students remains the same: six hours and 20 minutes,” said UFT spokesperson Alison Gendar. However, parents of school students have expressed surprise at the change in schedule and outrage, as the new schedule shift will bring problems to working parents.

Penny White, a parent of a student at PS 130 Elementary School in Brooklyn, said she received a notice that their school's end time would move about 10 minutes earlier. She worries that some parents across the city may be having difficulty paying or arranging for childcare changes.

“Employers all want more hours on both sides, so I imagine families will struggle,” White said.