Q 1. If teachers are on furlough, will classes be offered?
A 1. No. Classes will be cancelled.
Q 2. On furlough days, will any meal service or student transportation be offered to students?
A 2. No.
ACCREDITATION
Q 1. Is school accreditation impacted by instructional days?
A 1. No. There is no specific number of instructional days required for accreditation.
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS
Q 1. Will afterschool tutoring or enrichment programs run by the school be offered on furlough
days?
A 1. No.
Q 2. Will the DOE A+ Program be available on furlough days?
A 2. No. Private providers may apply for Use of Facilities and run their own programs at parent
expense on furlough days. Principals will continue to approve/disapprove Use of Facilities
requests for their school.
Q 3. What will happen with the monthly DOE A+ fee?
A 3. The monthly DOE A+ fee will be adjusted based on the furlough days.
ATHLETICS
Q 1. Will athletic events be conducted on designated furlough days?
A 1. Yes. Athletic events will continue as scheduled. Athletic events may not be rescheduled
prior to 3:00 p.m. on furlough days.
Q 2. Will athletic teams be allowed to practice/play on furlough days?
A 2. Yes. Teams may practice/play on furlough days after 3:00 p.m. only.
Q 3. Will teacher coaches be able to supervise/coach practices and games?
A 3. Yes.
Q 4. Will preseason and statewide tournaments need to be rescheduled?
A 4. Decision/action for Pre-season and State Tournaments for teacher coaches for school year
2010-2011.
Coaches will be allowed to travel/coach before 3:00 p.m. on furlough days for
tournaments (pre-season and/or state tournaments), if the start times for these games are
scheduled prior to 3:00 p.m.
Coaches are not allowed to reschedule practice times or game starting times earlier
than 3:00 p.m. on furlough days.
Q 5. Can regularly scheduled early morning sports practices continue on furlough days?
A 5. Yes. Morning practices for sports (e.g., swimming, cross country, canoe paddling) may
proceed and must be completed by 7:45 a.m.
COMMUNITY SCHOOL FOR ADULTS
Q 1. Will the Community School for Adults offer classes on furlough days?
A 1. No. The Community School for Adults will not offer classes on furlough days.
DRIVER’S EDUCATION
Q 1. Can driver’s education for students continue on furlough days?
A 1. Yes. Driver’s education may continue on furlough days after 3:00 p.m.
INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS
Q 1. Is there a federal or state law mandating the number of instructional days for school
year 2010-2011?
A 1. No. The number of instructional days is determined by the HSTA agreement.
MEAL SERVICE
Q 1. On furlough days, will any meal service be offered to students?
A 1. No.
Q 2. Will the DOE lose federal funds for the school meal service program?
A 2. No
NCLB SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Q 1. Are afterschool supplemental educational services (SES) programs that are run by private
providers able to operate on furlough days?
A 1. The DOE is recommending that schools reschedule SES private provider
programs on furlough days. If rescheduling is not possible, SES private
providers may continue to provide services on furlough days after the “normal” school
end time for students.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Q 1. How will schools address professional development or conferences on furlough days?
A 1. Out-of-state and in-state trips by employees for professional development or to attend
mandatory conferences on furlough days should be:
Rescheduled.
If the activity cannot be rescheduled, then professional development or conferences shall
be cancelled or evaluated and recommended to proceed by administrator or principal.
Furloughed DOE employees who participate in out-of-state, statewide or district-wide
professional development workshops to attend mandatory conferences may
be doing so as part of their job responsibilities. *Participation exceptions for furloughed
DOE employees may be granted by the superintendent on a case-by-case basis and must be
approved prior to the activity date.
*Exception procedures have been sent to principals
and administrators.
Q 2. Will DOE hold workshops for HSTA or HGEA or UPW employees on a furlough day?
A 2. No. DOE Workshops scheduled on furlough days will be cancelled or rescheduled.
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES (WEEKENDS/HOLIDAYS)
Q 1. Will voluntary school activities on Saturdays, Sundays, or school holidays still go on?
A 1. Yes.
SCHOOL BUDGET
Q 1. Will there be any adjustment to the lumpsum buy/sell prices for teacher positions due
to the furloughs?
A 1. No.
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Q 1. Will the last day of each semester – Thursday, December 16, 2010 and Thursday,
May 26, 2011- be a full instructional day for students?
A 1. Yes.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES and TRIPS
Q 1. Can schools still conduct afterschool student activities on furlough days?
A 1a. Student activities (e.g., dances, proms, plays, conferences) planned by schools off-campus
or on-campus after 3:00 p.m. on furlough days should be:
Rescheduled to Thursdays (Thursday is the new “Friday”) or Saturdays
or another day, if possible.
If the activity cannot be rescheduled, then the event shall be cancelled or approved
by principal to proceed.
Furloughed DOE employees who volunteer to participate in the activity will be doing so
during non-work hours.
Volunteer parents and guardians may continue to chaperone authorized student activities.
A 1b. Statewide or district-wide student activities (e.g., conferences, competitions) scheduled
involving students and DOE employees on furlough days should
be:
Rescheduled to Thursdays (Thursday is the new “Friday”) or Saturdays
or another day, if possible.
If the activity cannot be rescheduled, then the event shall be cancelled or evaluated
and recommended to proceed by administrator.
Furloughed DOE employees who participate in statewide or district-wide student activities
may be doing so as part of their job responsibilities. *Participation
exceptions for furloughed DOE employees may be granted by the superintendent on a case-by-case basis
and must be approved prior to the activity date.
Volunteer parents and guardians may continue to chaperone authorized student activities.
A 1c. Out-of-state and in-state trips involving students and DOE employees on furlough days
should be:
Rescheduled.
If the activity cannot be rescheduled, then the
trip shall be cancelled or evaluated and recommended
to proceed by administrator or principal.
Furloughed DOE employees who participate in out-of
state, statewide or district-wide student activities
may be doing so as part of their job responsibilities.
*Participation exceptions for furloughed DOE employees may be granted by the superintendent on
a case-by-case basis and must be approved prior to
the activity date.
Volunteer parents and guardians may continue to chaperone
authorized student activities.
*Exception procedures
have been sent to principals and administrators.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES (SPED/SBBH)
Complex area superintendents and district educational specialists for special education and
school-based behavioral health are working with schools
to review IEP and 504 modification plans. Parents are asked to work closely with their child’s
school during this process. Additional information will be provided.
School-based Behavioral Health
Q 1. My child has a 504 modification plan. What’s going to happen on furlough days?
A 1. 504 accommodations, modifications and related services are provided while a child
is in school. Services that would have been provided on a furlough day may be rescheduled.
Q 2. My child receives school-based behavioral health (SBBH) related services after school.
Will services continue?
A 2. Services that would have been provided on a furlough
day may be rescheduled. Related service providers will also
be asked to review and adjust their weekly schedule to ensure
the provision of SBBH related services.
Special Education
Q 1. Should Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans be reviewed to measure the educational impact
of furlough days on the student?
A 1. Yes. The IEP team for each student should consider the reduction in instructional
days and the effect (if any) the reduction will have on the provision of a free appropriate
public education (FAPE).
Q 2. What about related services that are scheduled on furlough days on a school campus?
A 2. Related service providers will be asked to review and adjust their weekly schedule
to ensure the provision of IEP indicated related services. Services that would have
been provided on a furlough day may be rescheduled.
Q 3. Will services be provided to students placed in off-campus placements on DOE furlough
days?
A 3. Services that would have been provided on a furlough
day will be reviewed and may be rescheduled.
SUMMER SCHOOL
Q 1. Will furlough days affect summer school?
A 1. No.
WAIVER DAYS/PLANNING COLLABORATION DAYS
Q 1. Can schools use a Waiver Days (WD)/Planning/Collaboration (P/C) Day in place of or to
reduce furlough days?
A 1. No. Under the agreement with HSTA, 3 of the 4 P/C Waiver days shall be used as furlough
days.
Q 2. Can a principal or school decide to cancel a WD/P/C Day?
A 2. No. Schools must submit a request to the state Board of Education for a waiver to cancel
a WD or P/C day in consultation with the Union.
Q 3. What process should schools follow to increase instructional minutes on school days that
have traditionally ended earlier (e.g., move Friday schedule to Wednesday)?
A 3. Any changes to the 2010-2011 bell schedule (as a result of furlough days) that will eliminate
administration meeting time or increase instructional minutes needs to follow the waiver process
as outlined in the HSTA contract.