Lesson Plans Update — Part 2

The purpose of this message is to update you on where we sit in terms of the Template from Hell (EPISD Lesson Plan Template). As I briefed you last week, I met with Dr. Brown and Mr. Geske yesterday, August 14th. From that meeting:

1. AFT’s position has been and remains that the EPISD Lesson Plan Templates violates Tex. Educ. Code Section 11.164, in that the lesson plan requirements that EPISD has imposed are redundant and are neither brief nor general.

2. Our position is that even though it has “optional” items, overzealous Central Office personnel, campus administrators and other Faculty members (ALLs) will and have made everything mandatory, and worse.

3. Our position is that the best “evidence of planning” is how well a class is functioning not a burdensome template that no one uses.

4. The best way for finding “evidence of planning” is for Principals and AP to get up out of their offices and go out and observe what is happening in classrooms more than 45 minutes a school year.

5. Two much more palatable, LEGAL and useable options for documenting lesson planning were presented to Dr. Brown and Mr. Geske. These will be, along with our comments about the Template from Hell, considered by Dr. Brown’s folks and School Leadership between now and Friday, September 6th’s Curriculum Committee Meeting.

6. At that meeting, Dr. Brown will reveal the decision as to whether it will be one of the more palatable (and legal) recommendations or persist with the Template from Hell. We have two Courses of Actions available. We will adopt one. We are preparing for both.

a. COA #1 — EPISD adopts one of the palatable, legal options. EP AFT monitors training and implementation.

b. COA #2 — EPISD hunkers down on the Template from Hell. EP AFT will file a class action grievance. We are drafting the grievance with the assistance of the Texas AFT General Counsel and will file it following a press conference on Tuesday, September 11th.

In the interim, to avoid being written up for insubordination, do the following.

Elementary. If your Principal requires you to use it, ONLY do those items that are not marked Optional. Keep things brief and general. If an ALL or your Principal tells you otherwise, contact us immediately. This includes, “well, a good teacher would”.

Secondary. If your Principal requires you to use it, ONLY do those items that are not “Optional”. Keep things brief and general. If an ALL or your Principal tells you otherwise, contact us immediately. This includes, “well, a good teacher would”. The following items are OPTIONALfor you, just as they are for Elementary.

· Group Format

· Differentiation Method

· Check for Understanding

· Describe Intervention

· Describe Extension.

Lesson Planning is NOT optional, Lesson Plans should be. After all, wouldn’t your time be better spent working with students, working with parents, preparing lessons, reflecting on and improving lessons, not filling in a Template?

As the situation develops, I will update you.

In Solidarity,

Ross