‘Teacher Academy’ proposed to pay teachers extra 4 weeks for planning

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Teachers in Brunswick County could soon have the option for more planning time and more money for it.

Brunswick County Schools Spokeswoman Jessica Swencki said she helped cabinet members propose the teacher academy to the board of education this week.

“There’s always the difficulties that come along with teaching, but ultimately, I do enjoy my job,” Leland Middle School teacher Laura Sokol-Scott said.

After 12 years at Leland Middle School, an ongoing challenge for Laura Sokol-Scott is finding time for planning.

“I try to do as much prep work as possible during the summertime, because even with that I typically am here until 5:00, 5:30 most days,” Sokol-Scott said.

Right now, all of that is unpaid.

“I’ve got plenty of other coworkers that I know of that are working so hard during the summer, working full time jobs just to be able to make it through those two months of unpaid time in addition to working on things to get ready for the next year,” Sokol-Scott said.

Swencki said that could change as early as this summer.

“The 11 month calendar option would allow teachers to have an additional month of employment at their daily rate of pay,” Swencki said.

Swencki said the Teacher Academy would be an optional four weeks for teachers during the summer split up between June and August.

“To give teachers unobstructed time to truly plan not only with their colleagues within their school, but to plan with like grade level or subject areas across the county,” Swencki said.

Sokol-Scott said it would not only take away some of the financial burden teachers face, but also open all kinds of possibilities in the classroom.

“This will alleviate the stress and give us you know that focused purpose that we want to which is to improve student outcomes and make sure that they are getting to do cool stuff in the classroom,” Sokol-Scott said.

Swencki said the board still has to vote on the $2 million proposal in the next couple of months. If it passes, she said they hope to start the teacher academy this summer.