The best way to approach scheduling is as a partnership between school-based staff and central office. Here's how superintendents can help make that happen:

Establish a cross-functional scheduling team (or three): Every district should have at least one scheduling team responsible for creating a set of district-wide scheduling guidelines, a protocol for how scheduling decisions are made, and a timeline for when schedules should be drafted, reviewed and finalized. This team should include principals, school-based schedulers and district academic staff. While it may not be necessary for the superintendent to be part of this team, the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning should be involved. Very large districts should consider creating three scheduling teams: elementary, middle, and high.
Communicate a clear set of "must-have" scheduling priorities: At its core, scheduling is a complex series of tradeoffs, but it is impossible for any district or school to "see" all the tradeoffs at the start of the process. Providing clarity on "must-have" priorities and what to schedule inevitably makes it easier for teams to navigate tradeoffs during the scheduling process.
Dispel myths and misunderstandings: Schedules are sometimes driven by "myths" about what is required or possible. In one district I worked with, one principal swore that PE was required for 50 minutes daily, while another thought it was 50 minutes weekly. The actual state requirement was 150 minutes per week. Superintendents should help dispel myths by pushing central office leaders to share clear guidance with school teams about state- or district-level time on learning requirements and, if relevant, collective bargaining requirements.

3. Know class size targets–and how closely schools are staffed to them

Staffing accounts for 80%-90% of most school budgets. School schedules determine how virtually all school staff use their time. Designing a great school schedule, then, is an incredibly high-value exercise.

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School scheduling: 3 things every superintendent should know

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