Changing the  Game on Class Schedules

Friday, May 13, 2011

 

For many schools, the daily schedule of 8am to 3pm is an age-old practice that is as common as morning coffee. However, an increasing number of schools across the nation are breaking from the traditional school day and calendar to accommodate ever-increasing enrollment and budgetary shortfalls. This includes the practice of lengthening the school day, extending time into summer vacation, split shift schedules, multi-tracks, and a host of alternatives to tradition. And this movement is not fueled just by budgets or enrollment, but by the way we understand how children are learning in a new millennium. The argument against seat time has been made. All the talk about meeting standards and benchmarks, teacher accountability, teacher quality, class size, and numerous other solutions directed at student achievement have arisen out of the realization that schools are not making the progress that they need. Jennifer Davis, president and CEO of the National Center on Time and Learning, states, “We're not closing the achievement gap, and we're not keeping pace internationally with other industrially advanced countries.” She points out that, accustomed as we may be to the traditional 6 ½ hour, 180 day school year, it's an outdated schedule better fitting the needs of farmers (who needed all hands on deck during the summer harvest months) than today's families. “We need to rethink the 'agrarian schedule,'” she says.

This is the school reform movement at its best, educated people taking risks by breaking from tradition and seeking alternative ways in which children can learn by taking a good look at the schedule and making some adjustments such as a longer school day for some students, earlier starts, and later dismissals. Unfortunately, many people are not all that willing to change. It is perhaps a natural inclination for both teachers and parents to resist change when faced with the reality of its eventuality. According to a report by Education Sector, an independent education policy think tank, some parents, especially those in higher income brackets, may be wary of more school hours as it could mean less time for extracurricular or family togetherness. In contrast, single, low-income, and working parents are more likely to support the longer school day, as it means school and work schedules will be more aligned, and children will have access to more educational resources.

I'm sure that for many parents, the thought of their child being offered a safe place to play and learn in a full day from dawn to dusk would be a welcome thought. But we really need to remember that both the parents and the school systems must be in it together to find the solutions, and that means both will need to make sacrifices. In the world of educational design, a school that has all the great aspects to it from the classroom space to the instructional methods is still something of a myth. Indeed there are a few iconic schools that we read about such as having all the things they need: high student achievement, a great school climate, and indeed all schools would likely aspire to be right alongside them. However, the single most contributing factor to the success of a great school is the stakeholders that support it. Everyone from the teachers and the boards of education, to the parents. Teachers will need to be dedicated like they've never been before, school boards will have to take risks and think outside of the box, and parents will have to make serious sacrifices to their daily schedules and lifestyle if a great school is what they want.

Most parents are also dutifully responsible to put food on the table and pay the bills, and that means going to work. In schools where we see success stories, we often see a two-parent family where only one is working, or a single parent who happens to work from home that can allow them significant access to their children and the support for their education. For the schools who have alternative schedules such as a split day where half the school attends in the early AM and the second half in the PM, the problem of students coming home early in the day isn't that concerning as there is always someone home to receive them. In stark contrast, those parents who are not lucky enough to have that schedule are further burdened with knowing that their child may be coming home early from school to an otherwise empty house, and that can be stressful for many families.

The discussion on alternative schedules isn't over. School districts will continue to seek ways in which they can overcome changes in their demographic. Here in the CNMI we are also not immune to these changes. The enrollment of secondary school students has increased each year and will continue to do so. With the economy continuing to stagger, coupled with increased opportunities and student achievement mandates in public school, 2011-2012 is expected to see even more growth. What will the schools in the CNMI do? Aside from waving a magic wand and building new schools over the summer months, they will be forced to make changes that haven't been considered in over a decade.

What is the district plan for such a change? There are few choices. The school leadership teams are tasked to try and come up with solutions and some have already begun the process. However, they will likely need active support from the Board of Education, the education commissioner, and the parents to help find these solutions. We have to realize that we are changing the landscape of education in the CNMI. We must at all costs stand up and embrace the change and take a serious look at how we can meet the needs of our growing educational community. We need leadership at all levels of government and in schools that have the vision to see that the education of its population is the most valuable asset to its future and the successful development of our islands. When we fail to provide for our students, we fail our community. The best school reformers in the nation will tell you that failing schools are not the result of failing neighborhoods, but more so the opposite, that failing neighborhoods are the result of failing schools. You can build all the community centers you want to, fix all the roads, staff the hospitals, and even fix the power grid, but if you don't have and educated population you have achieved little as everything will certainly fall into disrepair.

If we can focus our attention to investing in a educated population we will see our neighborhoods rise from the ashes, our young authors, doctors, engineers, and builders return to be a part of a successful and flourishing community. We have to give the people who “live here and leave” a reason to return, a reason to have their children grow up and be educated in the CNMI instead of seeking a better future off island. This is not a dream; it can be a reality. We need to change what we're doing and step up to the plate and proceed with all God's speed to save our children and our island. Don't give up, stand up and participate, make it happen. Be a part of the change.