Is there some consistency and rationale to this expenditure of time?
Is it fair that because of a particular teacher’s talents and inclinations, his or her class gets a great reading and writing program but practically nothing else? At the schoolwide level, it is imperative that we examine how time is apportioned throughout the day, the week, and the school year and ask questions like these:
p What percentage of time in school is allocated and protected for in- struction?
p How else is student time expended?
p Do the percentages match our priorities?
p How might we decrease the amount of allocated time not devoted to instruction?
p Over the years, what amount of a student’s time is spent learning what subjects?
p Is there some consistency and rationale to this expenditure of time? If not, then we are not really in control of the education we are delivering.