Waterloo Schools will have a two hour early dismissal today in order to allow teachers prepare for future lessons as their normal prep hours have been taken up by filling in for other teachers amid a substitute teacher shortage, according to the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. The district has planned four days for these two hour early dismissals. The others will be on March 1st, April 19th, and May 17th. The district says teachers have been overloaded by working outside of contract hours and learning new curriculum and grading programs. That coupled with the sub shortage, they say their daily sub fill rate is around 40%, has created issues with teachers finding a healthy balance between work and family. Superintendent Jared Smith says this plan is similar to something he introduced in his previous role at South Tama.
