Schools in Eastern Carolina vote to add a teacher workday

PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Pitt County Schools passed a motion Friday morning in a 5-1 vote to add a teacher workday for teachers and students who have been working nonstop since the pandemic started.

Worth Forbes was the only school board member to vote against the motion.

The decision comes as other school systems in Eastern North Carolina do the same thing in order to give their staff a break.

Some teachers have planning periods during the school day in order to catch up, grade assignments and whatever else they need to do, but that hasn’t been the case lately.

Teachers say with the substitute shortage, they are using their planning period to cover classes and sit in other meetings, leaving them to plan before and after the school day starts and on the weekends.

Thus, some school systems like Pitt County Schools and Craven County Schools are trying to help by offering a teacher workday on Nov. 12th.

Craven County Schools Superintendent Wendy Miller says the only thing the school system asks teachers to do on this workday is one kind thing for themselves.

PCS said the school system has plenty of banked hours to use and students will still have 180 school days total for the school year.

In addition to the teacher workday on Nov. 12th, Pitt County Schools also approved an early release day on Feb. 23rd for students and staff.

Copyright 2021 WITN. All rights reserved.