Why are teachers losing planning periods and lunch breaks?
Schools are replacing guaranteed planning times and lunch breaks with mandatory extra classes, lunch duty, and poorly scheduled conference periods. This forces teachers to choose between eating, using the restroom, or doing necessary prep work, leaving them without the uninterrupted time needed to manage their workloads.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Why are teachers losing planning periods and lunch breaks?
- 1getting a doctor's note for lunch accommodationsDid this help you?
- 2looking into positions elsewhere or exiting the professionDid this help you?
- 3stepping down to a different role like a para or building subDid this help you?
- 4relying strictly on pre-made curricula to save planning timeDid this help you?
- 5Searching for case law or state regulations regarding teacher rosters and conference periodsDid this help you?
- 6Refusing to cover classesDid this help you?
- 7Checking collective bargaining agreements and contractsDid this help you?
- 8giving up prep or lunch periods for extra payDid this help you?
- 9bringing in central admin staff to help outDid this help you?
- 10crowding multiple classes into the auditorium or cafeteria with an aide or subDid this help you?
- 11contacting the unionDid this help you?
- 12checking if the practice is normal or accepted in the districtDid this help you?
- 13Refusing requests from administration to protect contractually guaranteed prep timeDid this help you?
- 14Only agreeing to cover classes as a personal favor for a friendDid this help you?
- 15Informally asking colleagues to cover partial days instead of officially requesting a substituteDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“We lost our planning time, but he counts the 5 minutes between each class as planning, along with in the morning before classes start.”source ↗
“On my lunch duty days, I have to choose between eating or planning in the 15 minutes that remain.”source ↗
“We found out this week that he plans to make us “get creative” and pick up an 11th class. The only possible time to do that would be during our lunch- which is also during that grade level’s lunch.”source ↗
“Usually a teacher will lose their prep period and get paid what their hourly wage is for that period. Most teachers would rather the 45 minutes of prep, or silence, than an extra $40”source ↗
“My district announced this week that middle and high school teachers called on to sub during a prep period won't be compensated anymore because we still have another prep period. We are furious.”source ↗
“At my school, we have preps built into the schedule but rarely get to use them as specials teachers. We are always being required to cover for other teachers when they're on daily PLCs, meaning that if you aren't at a PLC yourself you are watching the classroom of a person who is (regardless of student age or subject: they really just need you in there as a warm body).”source ↗
“I haven't gotten a PD or a lunch break for the past few days (they may require you to work through lunch as well) and I don't know what my recourse is.”source ↗
“Teachers need their planning periods to plan, grade, have meetings, etc. They will burn out and quit.”source ↗
“She does not have a traditional conference period where she can work in her room. The school decided, instead of compensation, they will just call one of her periods a conference and expect her to just leave her room for an hour, totally ignoring the fact that her aide is not always there.”source ↗
“If they stopped paying us I would refuse to cover.”source ↗
“teachers jumped on it, giving up their preps/lunches or whatever period they had free.”source ↗
“Maybe once or twice a year this happens where someone is out sick and there’s no subs so we have to cover during our prep.”source ↗
“Did it over 10 times last year....”source ↗
“When asked by the front office, I just say no. That's my contractually protected time, and while we do get paid for prep subbing, it's usually a shitty experience and not how I want to spend my time.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to fix missed lunch punches on timesheets
- 2Why am I penalized for working during planning periods?
- 11How to work on low energy days without feeling guilty
- 10Employer cut my hours without warning
- 6Getting disciplined at work for missing billable hours targets
- 2How to tell management a deadline is impossible