This year McCracken County School Board has been asking the question: should we consider alternate schedules for future school years? Promoting opinions from students with a wide variety of views.
Alternate schedules are being considered based on lowering K-PREP scores following the past years. One idea that has been proposed is the taking away of the fifth block to divide it into two classes.
Lengthening the schedule to 7 class periods. Teachers believe this will help improve scores as it will allow them to have core classes year-round. However, many students were opposed to this idea, polling their opinions.
Over 80 percent of students voted against this and students who voted negatively expressed their concerns.
One student states, “I feel as though 7 classes a day would shorten our learning time in our class making it harder for us to completely retain the knowledge. “
“Why change it now? What’s the point of it? Athletes already have enough to worry about with 6 classes why make it even more stressful”
“It’s better to have block classes that switch around during the year so students won’t be stuck in one place all year long. The layout of our classes has worked for many years, so why change it now? It also allows students jobs Co-Op when they have their core classes finished at the beginning half of the day. Adding another period and making all classes finished at the beginning half of the day. Adding another period and making all classes year-long will only make it more difficult for students to co-op if their main classes are put at the end of the day. “
One student expressed an alternative idea, “I wouldn’t want to have a core class on a block… I wouldn’t have enough spots for all the classes that I want to take. I think that a good idea is the schedule idea where different teachers have block classes at different times. Mrs. Brinily can explain that schedule idea.”
In an interview with Mrs. Brinley, she explained this idea. Explaining that at different times teachers can have different schedules having their block classes at different times. An example of this schedule is pictured below:
Many students seem wary of any changes at all, Abby Allred(10th) states, “I wouldn’t want any changes at all, if we had a 7 block class period then I don’t think I would be able to keep up with my grades, any other schedules just seem confusing and were already use to the one we have now.”
Many members of the school board have taken these considerations in mind, and are weighing the negative and positive of each side.
Mrs Powell an English teacher here at the school stated, ” At the end of the day it’s all about student learning, student opportunity, and doing whats best for student…We have to consder what scedule changes would mean for our studnets. Would it mean more homework, higher expectations, can our students handle another class. However on the pros we are giving our studetns more exposure and more educational time in readind and math. “
However, students should keep in mind schedule changes are not definite and are only in the brainstorming phase of development. The school board met last Wednesday to work out these ideas and will be meeting more times on soon dates to prepare for the Site based monthly meeting. Meetings are open for students, parents, and faculty members to give their opinions on the matter, and are encouraged to participate. Whatever outcome may come from students are being kept at the forefront of these conversations and how these decisions may affect them.
