Controversial from the get-go, teacher in-service workshops on Wednesday afternoons will be dropped if the school board adopts a proposed calendar, North Platte School Superintendent Marty Bassett said Tuesday.

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The early-out Wednesdays began in 2010 with the aim of fostering more team teaching as well as team learning methods in classrooms. It was a controversial change from the beginning because it disrupted typical schedules.

The idea was for teachers to get together often to share information and techniques, but when they returned to the classrooms on Thursdays, they often felt like they were starting over, Bassett said.

Bassett said schools would stop using half-day sessions under the proposed calendar, but he left room for some four-hour parent-teacher conferences as well as teacher in-service sessions near the weekends.

He said teachers in separate buildings have been collaborating more frequently though Wednesday afternoon get-togethers, and he intends to find ways for that to continue.

But officially, teacher’s meetings would return to being held once a month.

Early start

The proposed calendar calls for school to start early -- Aug. 14.

That would allow the first semester to end by Dec. 20, Bassett said, avoiding the over-the-holidays disruption of class work. If school starts later, the first semester would finish in January.

The early start means new teacher would start work on Aug. 5 and other teachers on Aug. 8.

Seniors would graduate on May 11 and all other classes would end on May 15.

The calendar has not been adopted yet, so some changes could be made. The board is expected to vote in two weeks.

To see the calendar, see the North Platte Public Schools website HERE.