Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a best practice that has been around for decades; however, due to organizational structuring in elementary schools, teachers are allowed 30 minutes of planning time. During this time little planning or collaboration with peers is achieved. Previous research has proven that professional learning by way of collaboration with peers increases the teachers' ability to reach and teach the students which in turn results in student success. The problem addressed by this study was the allotted time provided for Georgia elementary teachers to develop professionally and how to obtain that time in a manner that improves teacher performance. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand the perceptions of Georgia elementary teachers on what is considered an appropriate amount of time to collaboratively plan and develop professionally in order to impact their pedagogy to meet the needs of their elementary students; conduct direct observations; and collect specified documentation in an effort to identify what is considered an appropriate amount of time to collaboratively plan and develop professionally to impact their pedagogy to meet the needs of their elementary students. The data revealed the majority of elementary teachers who were interviewed perceive the current professional learning practices to be ineffective for improving teacher pedagogy and they perceived the current amount of time allotted for collaborative planning and professional development to be limited. They were also unable to offer suggestions of how to obtain what could be considered the appropriate amount of time for collaborative planning and professional development to improve teacher performance. Based on the findings, it appeared the elementary teachers are unfamiliar with the concept of PLCs as well as how they operate in a manner that can effectively improve teacher performance. Future research should include the perceptions district and building leaders possess on PLCs to ensure a proper understanding is held on the concept of PLCs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]