I do not feel that adding 30 minutes would be beneficial to the stusents or the teachers. Please do not pass this decision!

I have heard that the reason for the extended hours is because teachers complained they did not have enough time to teach everything the district required. It feels very much like the district is punishing the teachers - instead of reducing the mandates on the teachers who are overworked, they are paying them back for expressing their concerns. Maybe that isn't the case, but it sure feels that way. And please don't tell me that if I don't like the way I am treated that I should just quit. I teach because I enjoy it and I want to make a difference and help break the cycle of poverty in my students. If I can help them get a better education then they can have a better life. When times get hard and things are difficult, the quality people are the ones who stick around and try to make a difference. The people who up and quit when it gets hard won't be missed. Who do you want teaching your children - someone who quits when the going gets rough or someone who sticks up for themselves and what they believe in?

caps or no caps - when all is said and done the teachers of wisd will continue to teach and love the children of this community. you pinheads and nippleheads looking to criticize the teachers are raising the very children who will be educators someday ! I love teaching with all my heart and will continue doing it until my body says NO. i will listen to the complaints of nuts like you but at the end of the day my spirit is full because I know that I have given back and made a difference in a child's life.

I went to WISD schools and have friends who are teachers in WISD. I know morale is low with teachers in the district, and this possible change sure won't help the morale. WISD administrators, please have some teachers involved so that you can get some insight from those that are involved. Also, as being a parent with children in school, this will not help their education. As someone mentioned before, children are already tired and longer days won't help!

I agree with Jennifer's 5:01pm posting. The teachers are in a losing battle. The administration is not working in their favor and the community doesn't support them. It is a sad indictment on the City of Waco. Truth be told, there are several teachers in this comment section that probably should have just taken the high road. Don't cut yourself in the negative minded shark infested waters... they are just ready to attack.

I taught 39 years from the time when most parents required their children to obey teachers, do homework, and achieve to the limit of their ability through a period when the courts and many administrators were more interested in not hurting a student's feelings than in having him or her achieve. Start where they are and take them as far as you can were teachers' instructions. Poor grades were a were thought to be a symbol of a teacher who did not care about the students rather than a record of their true achievement. Teachers' authority was taken away. Two or three generations of today's parents were given fraudulent deplomas and now expect their children to get something for nothing. How can a teacher or administrator gain respect and achievement from students whose parents fight them every step of the way? What do those of you who are in business do with employees who refuse to follow the rules and who do not perform up to your standards. Teachers are not allowed to "fire" their underperforming students or those whose parents do not give their support. Try visiting a classroom for a week or two to see what really goes on. Teach for a semester and check your opinion of the schools and the teachers.

Ratso It would be interesting to see if you could make it a day in a classroom. I don't me substituting... I mean planing, preparing, executing the lessons successfully with attentive students, attend meetings that day and go home to prepare for the next day.... You say you have a few weeks now and then that you work hard.... imagine having to work that hard for months and months at a time. And to those of you that say teachers should quit whining and just quit..... they love their kids way to much to give upon them just because a bunch of bureaucrats cant get their act together. They do it because they love teaching, but that doesn't mean they have to put up with being treated like second class citizens. We are lucky we even have teachers left in this district. I am not a teacher, but I have very close ties with teachers and know first hand what they have to put up with and endure to love and teach the children of this community. I have lived in several states and cities and I have never seen a district or community treat its employees with such disdain.

The schools do not need a longer day, they need Parent Involvement and more help in the classroom along with students that care or want to learn. As far as the 3 months, how about your figure the hours teachers really work! Most get to school by 7:00- don't leave until 4:30-5:00, have 20-25 minutes of lunch, grade papers 2 hours a night plus the multiple hours spent during the weekend planning, researching helping others - all to be told your cap salary is $50,000! Those of you that are throwing out crap, how much are you making and still having your vacation time, full hour lunches, sitting at your desk and NOT responsible for 18-25 others! Get off or your high horse and HELP out - Volunteer in the schools!

The great thing about America is the thousands of new jobs Mr. Obama is going to create. You may simply resign your teaching position and become a greeter at Wally World. The teachers laid off in Lorena will be happy to take your spot.

Dear Educator, please be educated enough to turn off your Caps Lock. Understand you are the employee. You work for the school. You can change jobs if you do not like the hours. I do not not allow my employees to vote on the my office hours. They work 8 or 9 hours per day and I work 4.

Have the City Manager of Woodway hold a press conference and get the teachers all stirred up. Then they can hire a lawyer and have a judge order the school system to not change the length of school until WOODWAY agrees to the time frame. What a JOKE

I suppose what irks me is that I know teachers that love their jobs. You're always going to have whiners, I don't care what occupation it is. One of my businesses is seasonal, and we go from days doing almost nothing to working 12 or 14 hours a day at times... on top of another business I own. A lot of my days start at 6am and end at midnight or 1am. I suppose I'm lucky because I don't have enough time to whine about it. I welcome any "teacher" to walk in my shoes for a week or two. You'll be begging on your knees to go back to your job... Really now, talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill...

You teachers need to pay attention to how your teaching, not concerning yourselves about not being invited to a meeting. If in fact you people did that, perhaps you wouldn't need an extra 30 mins. or an hour to teach..Of course no one thought about that..

I'm tired of those who can't do my job complaining when I want a say in how I, as a professional, am treated. Simply put, if I were a doctor, lawyer, architect, or other business person in the private sector, most posting here would believe that my opinion mattered when it came to my treatment at work. However, since I am just a lowly teacher, if I have the gall to complain about my treatment by those placed in authority over me, I am a whiner. Wow. Thanks for your support, moi, Gary, or anyone else. Thankfully for your children, we simply teach ALL the students put in front of us, not just the ones whose parents support public education.

This really has nothing to do with adding a few minutes a day. Teachers already put in numerous extra hours this won't make much of a dent. It boils down to being treated with professionalism in the work place. And it is obvious WISD has miss the boat on how to treat its teachers. I am abashed at our community; these posting have clearly depicted the lack of support and respect for our teachers. It is alarming. I am sorry for you WISD teachers. There are a few of us in your community that do support and admire all you do.

Furthermore, I find it really disgraceful and sad that you think single mothers "choose" to be single (either after being left high and dry, escaping an abuser, whatever) and poor people choose to be poor, probably because they're just lazy, and that they made all these poor choices but hopefully, a teacher will descend from the clouds and raise the poor child up from the ashes to make better choices... just ick. I can't believe you're teaching our kids. Gross. This anonymity on the internet is great. Makes me consider homeschooling now that I know how the teachers in Waco really are.

Well, no, teacher, you're wrong. I am not dealing with any of the situations I described. I'm just able to look at situations outside of my own and have some compassion, something you seem to lack. You're also wrong that people choose that life. If you think your success happened in a vacuum, you are dead wrong. The bottom line is, you have it pretty good, quit your whining, or find a new job.

Name one teacher who goes home at 5:00 and does not grade, plan, sponsor an event, coach, or support his/her students in extracurricular activities. Teaching is twenty four hours everyday and weekends too.

Hey Rab, the salaries of school employees is public record. All you have to do is look.

Hey Rab, the salaries of school employees is public record. All you have to do is look.

Way back in the stone ages when I worked for WISD, we had a District Quality Committeee with representatives from each campus. That didn't work out too well because the district rarely if ever took our advice. Management without consideration for employees is doomed to failure is one of the basic tenets of Total Quality Management, one of the districts tools. Trying to force adults to do something they do not believe in will never work according to all the literature I have read in the field of Human Tesource Development.

Moi, just as we made the choice to teach, you made the choice to work at a job that only pays $17,000 a year with no benefits, and to be a single parent. Only with the help of good, strong teachers will your children have the chance to make better choices and attend college so they can provide a better life for their familes.

Name one teacher that goes home at 5:00 and forgets about school. Teaching is a twenty four hour job. Grading, planning, sponsoring, coaching, etc....

I am a student at a WacoISD school. I heard that they want to extend the hours of school. In my opinion they shouldn't. People already complain about the students being tired in class, not paying attention, and not being focused. If you extended the hours that means all the extra-curricular activities will be pushed back. That means all the practices will not be out till around 7 which means their homework will not be done till lets say 12. That’s not that long to sleep. With the students that choose to work to help there parents pay bills they will hardly ever have the time to rest. I play softball, have a job, and stay on top of my class work. Let's see the school boards try and last a week in our shoes after being use to working their 9-3 days.

I am a student at a WacoISD school. I heard that they want to extend the hours of school. In my opinion they shouldn't. People already complain about the students being tired in class, not paying attention, and not being focused. If you extended the hours that means all the extra-curricular activities will be pushed back. That means all the practices will not be out till around 7 which means their homework will not be done till lets say 12. That’s not that long to sleep. With the students that choose to work to help there parents pay bills they will hardly ever have the time to rest. I play softball, have a job, and stay on top of my class work. Let's see the school boards try and last a week in our shoes after being use to working their 9-3 days.

This might come as a shock to you, business teacher, but many people can't just drop everything at work and come get their kid either! I know, it's shocking. But you guys still expect us to do it, don't you? When you're complaining about your salary which includes all the things I mentioned before, try thinking about the mothers of some of the kids you teach, trying to get by without health insurance or paid time off for sick kids, without a spouse for support, without a pension to look forward to, on about $17,000 a year. Then imagine trying to pay for summer child care with that while still taking care of rent and utilities and everything else. Then shut your entitled pie hole.

Get a grip. The so called great salary we get paid is based on 10 months and the two months in the summer we get off is greatly earned. When we have a sick child, we can't just up and leave school and go get them. I can't just stand up from my job and take care of family concerns like many of you who can simply clock out and go. We give so much to YOUR children every day. I am incensed!

Get a grip. The so called great salary we get paid is based on 10 months and the two months in the summer we get off is greatly earned. When we have a sick child, we can't just up and leave school and go get them. I can't just stand up from my job and take care of family concerns like many of you who can simply clock out and go. We give so much to YOUR children every day. I am incensed!

I believe that all Parents & Teacher should be allowed to attend the meeting and should have a say when it comes to our childrens and the hour that are spent at school if they state would redo the Taks test there would not be any need to work longer or stay longer at school..

I believe that all Parents & Teacher should be allowed to attend the meeting and should have a say when it comes to our childrens and the hour that are spent at school if they state would redo the Taks test there would not be any need to work longer or stay longer at school..

Please. Oh, the poor teachers who only get paid more for their 185 short days than MANY of those in Waco who do work year-round, who work full 8-12 hour days, who don't get health insurance, who don't get vacation time at all, who don't get sick days, and most importantly don't get PENSIONS. Wahh, you have to work an extra 15 minutes? Really? Stop your whining, and don't give me the "Why don't you try it!" because you signed up for it, not me. And to the person who commented on the grammar of the WISD teachers, you would not believe the ridiculous spelling errors that I have seen in communications from my child's teacher. This person is supposed to be teaching my child to spell and can't handle basic, one-syllable words herself. Teachers, want to be taken seriously as professionals? Act like serious professionals.

These teachers that are posting have some serious spelling and capitalization issues. Maybe they should consider another profession.

GET THIS: WE WORK 185 DAYS A YEAR. WE DO NOT GET PAID FOR DAYS WE DO NOT WORK. IT'S A CHOICE, AN HONOR AND A WONDERFUL JOB. TAKE YOUR OWN 3 MONTH/ UNPAID VACATION IF YOU ARE JEALOUS AND SEE IF YOU CAN IF YOU CAN MAKE ENDS MEET!!!

GET THIS: WE WORK 185 DAYS A YEAR. WE DO NOT GET PAID FOR DAYS WE DO NOT WORK. IT'S A CHOICE, AN HONOR AND A WONDERFUL JOB. TAKE YOUR OWN 3 MONTH/ UNPAID VACATION IF YOU ARE JEALOUS AND SEE IF YOU CAN IF YOU CAN MAKE ENDS MEET!!!

WISD Teacher's comment to LONG TIME WACOAN, Now there's an intelligent response....

WISD School board meet nail. Nail meet coffin.

Would love to see the organizational structure of the WISD with salaries.

Would love to see the organizational structure of the WISD with salaries.

Ratso sure does live in a dream world. I only wish that we had 3 months off!

Anyone who thinks teachers get three months of vacation during the summer has obviously never stepped foot in a school. Those three months in the summer are filled with trainings, preparation, and often part time jobs. Our teachers are some of the hardest working, (over worked and underpaid) PROFESSIONALS in our community. They need to be treated as professionals. If you think teachers are just whining and complaining, go spend a few days in a WISD classroom. It will be an eye opening experience for you. At the very least you will walk away with an INFORMED opinion.

Ratso I am sorry that you have been misinformed. Teachers do not get three months off and we only get paid for the days we work. So we work 185 days so we get paid for 185 days. I spend at least two weeks before school starts in my room working so that is 80 hours of unpaid work plus the time that I take work home at night and weekends. I do this willingly but when I get the "three months vacation" play I have to enlighten folks that it is not true.

LONG TIME WACOAN-YOU MUST HAVE AN AX TO GRIND WITH TEACHERS. DO YOU WORK OR SIT AT HOME ALL DAY? HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE LEFT OUT OF THE LOOP ABOUT YOUR JOB HOURS? YOU ARE JUST AN ANGRY PERSON. GET A GRIP.

Wow, I was always under the impression that bankers had the best hours... A job with a 3 month vacation on top of all that... Oh the horror!

WISD teachers have been complaining about the Admin.for as long as I can remember. Not all teachers just a few that would never be happy no matter what was being done.I am sick tried of reading about how teacher feel they are giving a raw deal. If you don't like it the find something else to do for a living.All we want is the class rooms are the teacher who really want to be there anyway. DEAL with it.

WISD teachers have been complaining about the Admin.for as long as I can remember. Not all teachers just a few that would never be happy no matter what was being done.I am sick tried of reading about how teacher feel they are giving a raw deal. If you don't like it the find something else to do for a living.All we want is the class rooms are the teacher who really want to be there anyway. DEAL with it.

A longer day for students is not the answer. What is thirty min going to do? WISD's way of sneaking in a new policy without even telling their teachers, or paents (I found out when I read the Trib yesterday) before reading it in the paper is wrong and indicative of the amount of respect that administrators have for their teachers in this dictrict. I agree that moral is very low.

I agree that teacher morale is at an all time low. Not only is the head admin at wacoisd acting like shrewed dictators, but they want the principals in the schools to do the same. All they are concerned with are ratings. They jump on every bandwagon that says it will get scores up. Most teachers are not allowed to just teach. They try to tell you the best way to teach your class, and they have not even met your class, and dont care about the diverse make ups of each classroom in the district. Extending the day is not the problem, if you allow teachers to just teach. Teachers know how to follow a scope and sequence, we just want to give the students experiences other than how to take a test, and the ones that are made up ny a company. WISD has not been this bad off in a long time. To those who say they always hear negative things about WISD, go to your neighborhood school. I promise there are great things going on as we speak. They are not advertised or reported like the bad stuff.

Gary, you can't be serious. What management obviously hasn't figured out is that you need your staff ON BOARD with whatever you want to do if you want it to be successful. ever heard of WIFM? "Whats in it for me?"- that's what upper management need to explain to staff in order for them to go along. You need teachers on the side of administration in order to produce.

Gary, have you read any management books in the last 20 years??????????????

It’s not the quantity but quality. I guess WISD does not see it that way.

Since WHEN should EMPLOYEES be part of making decisions for the COMPANY they work for?

This must feel like a slap in the face to WISD teachers. This says a lot about how WISD is being ran. The state needs to step in and get a firm grip on WISD right now. Instead of making decisions like paid professionals, the board and administrators seem to be brainstorming and doodling in some coffee shop and trying to backdoor their teachers. Glad my son doesn't go to a WISD school. If he did, I would withdraw him in protest. In the couple of years I have been in this area I have seen and heard nothing but bad and negative things about WISD. Something needs to be done. That's a large district with lots of students. If leadership at the top is shiesty, how are people supposed to have a positive outlook for the school and its policies??