Building an Elementary Schedule - Part 11: Distributing Finalized Schedules

This 12-part How to Build an Elementary School Schedule series shares expert step-by-step guidance and proven scheduling strategies to help you create better schedules this year.

When you've finished building and validating your elementary master schedule, it is time to share the product of your team's hard work. Sharing the schedule promptly and broadly can help enhance buy-in for and adoption of your new schedule. 

Here are some suggestions that may help enhance communication and transparency.

Raise awareness of the completed schedule and the goals behind it

Completing the master schedule is a big deal. It is the culmination of your efforts with the team to prioritize and coordinate the needs of all students and staff while aligning with district and school goals. Make sure you help everyone understand the goals and objectives reflected in the schedules as you share them. Completed master schedules also allow teachers and service providers to prepare for next year based on a predictable plan. When you communicate this milestone (e.g. through email, a staff meeting, or another method), make sure the communication reaches all staff affected by the schedules.

Make the finalized schedule easily accessible

Regardless of the method you use to publish and communicate schedules, make sure you are consistent and everyone has easy access to the most up-to-date version. When possible, use a single location or tool to serve as the system of record. If using email or other communication mediums to announce updates, link to or reference the system of record to eliminate duplication of information, confusion, and references to outdated emails or other stale sources.

Ensure everyone gets their own schedule

Having individual schedules for homeroom and specials teachers will help ensure collaboration, coordination, and accuracy across your school. This can also help take something off of teachers' plates by eliminating the need for them to create their own schedules. If some grades departmentalize, it can also be helpful to have not only homeroom schedules but also individual teacher schedules that reflect the classrooms they support throughout the day, and team schedules. 

As a reminder, you’ll need to make sure to update all of the dependent schedules you share if changes need to be made to your master schedule.

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