El Paso ISD enforces 8-hour workday on teachers

Working an eight-hour-day has always been in the contracts of El Paso Independent School District teachers, but this month the district told them it would be enforcing the rule.

Some teachers say they’re losing flexibility and morale.

“To now impose that you have to be there at a certain time puts a lot of strain on teachers, particularly those who have families,” Norma de la Rosa, president of EPISD’s Teacher’s Association.

The eight-hour policy dates back to 2012, but the decision to write teachers up for not following it started June 4th in a memo that states:

“In order to…to provide consistent time for planning and collaboration; all teachers will be required to work an eight hour work day.”

Principals can choose from either two scheduling options: teachers report 15 minutes before the first bell and stay after school for 45 minutes, or, teachers report 30 minutes before the first bell and stay after school for 30 minutes.

“This is nothing new and it’s also something that’s keeping with other districts across our region and the state,” said EPISD Spokeswoman Melissa Martinez. “So it’s by no means distrust of teachers.”

But that is exactly how some are perceiving it.

“This administration is coming in and they feel that we’ve been at the center of everything that’s gone wrong in the district and so they feel that they have to reign us in and control us, as to what we do and when we do it and how we do it,” de la Rosa said. “And it’s demoralizing even more to our employees in the EPISD.”

Teachers said they already work more than eight hours. Having a flexible schedule allows them to pick up their kids from daycare or attend doctors appointments after school.

“What’s going to happen now is that in order to take care of those necessities that we have to take care of then yes, teachers are going to take half days to make that accommodation,” de la Rosa said.

“All we did was clarify something that’s been on the books since 2012,” Martinez said.

Yselta ISD said it’s compensation policy states teachers need to work a minimum of 40 hours a week, although it does not use the term “enforcement.”

Socorro ISD said it’s teacher contracts say they work a full day, which is seven hours in the classroom, plus a 45-minute conference and a half-hour for lunch.