VILLA PARK : Teachers Voluntarily Forfeit Time ‘Banked’ Under Pilot Program

Teachers at Cerro Villa Middle School have backed off supporting a controversial program that allowed them to extend teaching days and “bank” the time for workshops.

Principal Fran Roney had stopped the program last month after a group of parents complained. Under the 1993 pilot program, the teaching day was extended five minutes and teachers saved enough for an hour of professional development every other Friday. Parents said that students were left without supervision during that time.

Orange Unified School District trustees were to decide last week what to do about 375 minutes the teachers had “banked” since ending the professional workshops in June. They had continued to teach the extra five minutes each day until Jan. 17.

That decision became moot when 34 of the 37 teachers signed a letter to the school board to voluntarily forfeit the banked minutes.

In the letter, the teachers said they still believe in the concept of the program but were aware that an “escalating debate” was causing problems for Roney, who inherited the problem when she became principal last November.

“We still believe in the benefits of the program, but we wish to extend a vote of confidence to Ms. Roney,” the letter stated.

Roney told trustees she also supported the need for staff development but thought that the school’s relationship with the community was of equal importance. “I was and still am overwhelmed with the generosity of the staff,” she said.

Maureen Aschoff, school board president, joined the other trustees in commending the teachers. “This has been a divisive situation for all of us, and I am pleased to accept this recommendation” to drop the banked time, she said.