What are Balance Hours?

There are a total of 200 days in the T-scale contract. Teaching and PD account for 194 days.

This leaves six “balance days” which translate to 45 balance hours to compensate teachers for work that cannot be done during the school day.

Balance hours cover staff meetings, countywide meetings, back-to-school night, graduation/promotion, science fair, musical events, chaperoning dances, writing letters of recommendation, grading, planning, and any work that is done outside of daily contract hours.

Most t-scale staff members have used up their balance hours before December 1.

Here is an example

Start with 45 balance hours.

Go to ten (one hour) staff meetings (35 balance hours remaining)

Go to graduation/promotion/dance (30 Balance hours remaining)

Go to back to school night (25 balance hours remaining)

Grade papers and plan lessons or stay late/arrive early in September (2 hours per day or 8 hours per week x 4 weeks = 32 hours uses up remaining time)

Work Intensification: Teaching well requires lessons to be carefully prepared, revised and adjusted mid-course. Students must get feedback on their work. Much of this is done outside of the school day. The APS trend of reducing balance hours means that t-scale staff spend more time doing uncompensated work than ever before. In fact, most t-scale staff have used their balance hours by October 1.

Working beyond balance hours (for example)

Attend the science fair (5 hours)

Chaperone a dance (5 hours)

Attend 10 required countywide meetings (10 hours)

Write 30 letters of recommendation (45 hours)

Daily work done outside of the school day November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June (grading and lesson planning) - 45 hours