Instructional and Assignable Time Payback

All teachers represented by the Alberta Teachers’ Association in public, separate and francophone schools are now covered by the same instructional and assignable time language. There is a maximum of 1,200 hours of assignable time, with 916 of those hours being the maximum instructional time.
 
The difference between the instructional hour maximum and hours of instruction for students (950 hours for Kindergarten to Grade 9, and 1,000 hours for Grades 10–12) is unassigned time. During this time, teachers can do what they want (within reason)—such as preparing lessons, engaging in assessment or reading a book. It is their time and is not directed. If a teacher chooses to leave the school during this time, they must follow the school’s checkout procedures (for example, letting the office know) and must return in time for their next class.
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Because hours are calculated over the school year, a school division can address time pressures or overages at any point during that school year. Teachers may have more instructional or assigned time (such as supervision or parent–teacher meetings) in one semester or term than in another. However, their instructional time at year’s end must not exceed 916 hours, and the total assignable time (including total instructional time) must not exceed 1,200 hours. As long as those maximums are not exceeded, the employer has met its obligations in the collective agreement.
 
The sooner a resolution is sought to handle an overage, the more options are available. Time is complex and finding a solution can be challenging. Teachers who project that they may go over the maximum time should have a conversation with their principal to review their time calculations. This underscores the importance of tracking one’s time.
 
The Association and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) have an understanding that teachers do not need to make up time away on an hour-for-hour basis. In other words, if a teacher is away from classroom duties on an approved leave or for a professional development day, they do not owe the employer those instructional hours. However, the teacher may be responsible for decisions made or work arising from those absences, which might require additional time for the teacher. For example, if a teacher is on sick leave and cannot attend parent–teacher interviews, the teacher is still responsible for reporting to parents. Some creativity on the part of the teacher may be needed to meet this expectation.
 
At the heart of this understanding is that there is no capacity to remove time that has already been worked. Furthermore, the language in the collective agreement does not allow for compensation if a teacher exceeds the maximum hours.
 
From the first inclusion of time protections, the Association has strongly encouraged school divisions to build a time cushion by not scheduling to the maximum, thus allowing schools to account for unforeseen factors, such as substitute teacher shortages.
 
Due to the lack of substitute teachers, teachers may be required to undertake additional instructional time during their unassigned time. While the clock cannot be turned back to subtract hours worked, the clock can be stopped. School leaders may give this time back to teachers when a substitute teacher is available to cover their class. In this ad hoc situation, the teacher’s instructional clock stops.
 
For example, during a teacher’s unassigned time on Monday, the principal asks the teacher to cover another teacher’s class because a substitute teacher is not available. When the teacher covers that class, their instructional time increases by the length of that block. On Thursday, the principal lets the teacher know that a substitute teacher is available to cover one of the teacher’s own instructional blocks. The teacher agrees to take the coverage. The teacher’s instructional clock has now stopped. While this does not erase the extra time the teacher worked earlier in the week, the covered block does not count in the teacher’s instructional time.
 
To cover other teachers’ classes in their unassigned time, teachers must have the instructional time available. Everyone has time early in the school year, but as the year progresses, that flexibility decreases. Again, teachers must be aware of their time.
 
WORTH SHARING
While teachers’ time away on approved leaves is not owed, calculating instructional and assignable time is nuanced. Address questions about your time calculations with your principal. Extra time worked cannot be subtracted, but the clock can be stopped. If you need help calculating your time or interpreting clause language, contact Teacher Employment Services. #WEAREATA

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