REMINDER: Parkway Schools Start Late Today

Bus schedules and classes at all schools will be delayed by two hours Wednesday, as the administration tries a new approach to staff development.

In previous years, teacher time spent studying best practices, examining data and other collaborative efforts would be done on days when class wasn't in session.

New in 2012, Parkway has adopted what it calls "Professional Learning Communities".

In an online Q&A about the program, the district argues that the delayed start is better than an early release approach because it:

• Allows more focused, undistracted study time for teachers before the hustle and bustle of the school day begins.
• Eliminates unsupervised after-school time during which students are waiting for athletics/activities to begin or are just “hanging out” at home alone for an extended time.
• Gives students additional time to sleep in the morning.
• Permits full participation of coaches and after-school activity sponsors.

Students will still get out of class at the end of their regularly scheduled days.

The other late start days for the rest of the year are:

• October 3
• November 7
• December 5 
• February 6
• March 6
• April 3
• May 1.