Prince William School Board votes to add 30 minutes to teacher workday beginning next school year
The Prince William County School Board voted late Wednesday night to extend teacher contract hours an additional half hour per workday, a move made against the wishes of many educators in the county.
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The Prince William County School Board voted late Wednesday night to extend teacher contract hours an additional half hour per workday, a move made against the wishes of many educators in the county.
In a 4-3 vote, the board approved a change to a School Board regulation to “ensure the classroom teaching assignment, planning period, and lunch period of teachers” does not exceed 7.5 hours. The change will begin in the 2026-27 school year.
Justin Wilk of the Potomac District, Lisa Zargarpur of the Coles District and Richard Jessie of the Occoquan District cast the three dissenting votes. Brentsville District board member Erica Tredinnick was absent from the meeting.
Ahead of the Wednesday night meeting, members of the Prince William Education Association gathered outside the Edward Kelly Leadership Center, where the meeting was held, to voice their concerns over the extension.
Chief among their complaints was compensation, or, more specifically, the lack of compensation for the additional 30 minutes a day added to teacher contracts.
“The School Board is considering adding 30 more minutes to every teacher’s workday without our input and without additional compensation,” said Carol Bauer, the Virginia Education Association president.
Bauer went on to say the change is a “violation” of the spirit of the collective bargaining process.
“The contract was negotiated in good faith. We showed up at the table, we honored the process, and although it was shortsighted that the previous PWEA bargaining team did not specifically include contract hours in the CBA, we can all agree that the contract was negotiated with the current hours in mind,” Bauer said.
Princess Moss, the National Education Association vice president, said a decision of “this magnitude” should never be considered without consulting union leadership and bringing PWEA to the table.
Moreover, Moss said, the change in teacher hours “devalues” teacher compensation by increasing hours without additional pay.
Teachers and community members filled the board room for citizen’s comment time, nearly all of them imploring the board to either delay the vote or to vote against the additional 30 minutes.
“We are discussing changes that ask teachers to do more for less without including them in decisions that impact their daily lives and their classrooms,” said Glorya Jordan, a mom in the county. “Adjustments to hours may ultimately be necessary, but making those decisions without consulting educators is unacceptable.”
Emily Cherry, a teacher in the division and one of the co-chairs of PWEA’s organizing and membership ad hoc committee, urged the board to delay.
“Teachers are already working far beyond our contract hours. We grade papers late at night, we lesson plan on the weekends, we respond to family emails outside of the school day,” Cherry said. “Through this vote, the School Board is sending the message that they do not see that the hours we spend in abundance of our contract hours are enough.”
Cherry continued, “I ask you to delay the vote until you engage in meaningful dialogue with PWEA. Doing so honors the hard work teachers already give and ensures any changes are made thoughtfully.”
It is unclear at this time how the additional 30 minutes will be used or where in a teacher workday the time will be added.
Board member comments
Loree Williams, the Woodbridge District board member, spoke at length on the issue.
“The way that you feel is valid,” Williams said to the teachers in the audience. “It does not change the business side of education.”
As Williams spoke, the crowd grew rowdy and physically turned their backs on her. Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef threatened to clear the room at several points due to comments from the public.
Williams went on to say the additional half hour is not an “unfunded mandate” and that she views the additional time as “giving credit to the time already [spent] there.”
The desire to offset the 30-minute increase in time with an increase in teacher pay will eventually be addressed during the “upcoming budget process,” said Jennifer Wall, the Gainesville District board member.
“The details are yet to be worked out, but there is going to be flexibility and there will be continued discussion,” Wall said.
Jessie said he went back and forth on the issue, but he ultimately believed “there is a significant financial potential damage” to teachers with the addition of time to teacher contracts.
Moreover, Jessie said, the board often talks about engaging with stakeholders, but in this specific case, the board “did not get together” with teachers, whom he said are the stakeholders.
Jessie went on to say the “major” reason he did not support the half-hour increase was because he did not believe it would improve academic performance. He ultimately offered a motion to table the issue until April, which failed in a 3-4 vote, with Jessie, Zargarpur and Wilk supporting the motion.
“There is a fundamental difference between a teacher choosing to stay, to work late or come early versus the board dictating how long they must remain in the building,” Wilk said. “When you tell them you must do this number hours, it sends an ominous message.”
The most significant cost of the 30-minute increase, Wilk said, is the impact it will have on the division’s workforce.
