Letters to the Editor: Proposed Greeley schedule change
January 4, 2008
Schedule change: good idea but insufficient planning
Mary McInerney
Many questions unanswered about proposed schedule change at Greeley
Eva Perretti
Schedule change: good idea but insufficient planning
Dear Editor,
My 23 years as an educator (classroom teacher, graduate level instructor, educational consultant) and 17 as a mother make me empathetic to the uneasiness of those who don’t want to see the new Greeley schedule implemented. I also see this new design as an exciting, innovative and much needed change for our community.
As Patti Reuter (Greeley’s master scheduler from 1998-2005) states in her Dec. 14 letter to the editor, “a strong foundation for our student’s academic career was first and foremost when creating the present schedule and it was important to include opportunities where students could have a higher course load.” I agree that the present schedule is a marvel and it has always amazed me how anyone can make sense of the timing, let alone keep the well being and integrity of both teachers and students in mind. With that said, change is a necessity where improvement is concerned.
As an educator, I welcome larger blocks of time
The problem I see is that 45 minute periods allow only enough time to settle in, present students with fundamental information, and watch them go off again. There are those educators who attempt to also fill that precious time with enriching activities to broaden students understanding, but it’s a difficult job within the time allotted. As an educator myself, I would readily invite larger blocks of time. I could then invite my students to delve deeper into subject matter through a variety of pathways. It would be a much more creative, effective way to learn. There should be time for more extensive hands-on learning, creating, investigating, constructing, debating, consulting and producing.
Our education system values linguistic and mathematical or logical abilities above any others. This is true of most education systems. The problem is that we are losing, or should I say, not attending to, those students who are stronger in other abilities with as much vigor (this very much includes our designated population).
Studies also show that learning content through a variety of perspectives deepens understanding for all students. Teaching through a variety of pathways will lead to multi-layered comprehension. In my opinion longer periods of time will allow for richer teaching and therefore richer learning. Isn’t that what we want for our children?
Greeley is not prepared for this change
With that said, we are not prepared for this change. I’m not pretending to know all the planning that has gone into this significant alteration but from what little we have been told it doesn’t seem nearly enough. We know that there was a staff development day on Nov. 6, 2007 in which “a group of teachers from different disciplines saw a presentation on techniques to teach bigger blocks.” We also know that there have been two visits to two different high schools that have an extended block schedule in place. Both of these visits took place quite recently.
Our school district is recognized for its endeavor for excellence. I’m hoping that this is not the extent of preparation activities. I’m hoping that there was so much more. I have worked in too many districts where exciting and innovative programs were implemented but failed due to lack of training, support and readiness.
Again, this could be an exciting and much needed change for our community, but it will ultimately fail without relevant preparation and strong subsequent support.
Mary McInerney
Mary McInerney has been a resident of Chappaqua for the past 15 years. She received her BA in Elementary Education at City College of New York and worked as a classroom teacher in New York City. After settling in Chappaqua to raise her family she completed her MA in Gifted Education at the College of New Rochelle as well as received a certificate in teaching reading. She has since stayed on at the college as an adjunct professor in the Creative Teaching and Learning Graduate Program. She has extensive experience in consulting for numerous school districts in the area as well as internationally specializing in identifying and accommodating gifted and talented students. She is also co-author of “Interest Centers – Pathways to challenge, choice, and differentiation.”
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Many questions unanswered about proposed schedule change at Greeley
Dear Editor,
I am writing to you as a concerned parent of children who are not yet in high school. I have several issues that I wish to communicate at this time about the “proposed” schedule changes that are being considered.
First, why is there a need for such a drastic change in scheduling after 35 years, and why wouldn’t this be a community-wide issue? Can parents and teachers vote on this? The current scheduling model that has been in place at Horace Greeley High School is unique and it is the very thing that sets our school district apart from all the rest! The current schedule affords our children the opportunity to reach their goals. Goals they set for themselves. Goals which are attainable.
Second, why did I have to seek out the information to find out about this “proposed” schedule change, and why wasn’t I able to find out sooner? I only recently learned of these changes after stumbling upon the NCCTV airing of the high school schedule meeting. I find this lack of communication within one school district to be unacceptable. It is difficult for parents to stay informed about important issues that will eventually affect my children and many other children in just a few years.
District-wide communication is lacking
Communication in the district is poor. We are one district. We should have one district-wide email system set up for parents of children at all schools within the district to stay informed. The high school schedule change affects all of the children in the district. There are other issues that we should be informed of as well, such as class sizes and the need for redistricting to better split the populations between Seven Bridges Middle School and Bell Middle School. The average class size at Bell is so much larger than that of Seven Bridges. Why?? Again, we are one district.
After watching the PTA meeting about the high school schedule change where Principal Selesnick said change is hard and people fear change, and as the change gets closer more people will fear the change, I disagree. Not the case! I just found out about it after watching it on NCCTV (at a very odd and inaccessible time) and became interested in the progress of this topic. I then read the NewCastleNow.org article written by a former administrator at Greeley, and what I felt in my heart after watching the meeting was confirmed when reading the valid points that Patti Reuter brought up. (See Letter to the Editor by Patti Reuter, NewCastleNOW.org, Dec. 14, 2007: Horace Greeley’s former master scheduler offers insight into schedule
Trying to stay informed is challenging to say the least.
Trying to stay informed has been challenging. I recently read a copy of Gmail—the newsletter sent home from the high school administration to high school parents—which I had to seek out because I do not automatically receive it because my children are not yet in the high school. In it, Principal Selesnick addressed some of the issues. I was confused and, quite frankly, disturbed by it. He used his experience in college and applied it to our high school curriculum. Not all kids are independent learners in high school.
Also, why is his college experience relevant here? Was the decision to make this dramatic change in the schedule based solely on his experiences? Was any input pursued from, or offered by, the assistant principals or the department chairs? What was counseling’s role in the process, as they are the students’ advocates?
How, and who will assess the teachers’ success under this new schedule with its longer hours but less time to complete the curriculum? Selesnick suggests that it is the parents’ responsibility to hire tutors for their children to learn what does not get covered in school. Not everyone can afford a tutor and not everyone sees a tutor as a valid way to create an independent learner. What would the teacher’s role be?
Is the school in upstate New York where the teachers visited at the same or better academic level as Greeley? If not, no comparison should be made to that school. I would love for the demographics and school profile to be published for that school, not just the population.
What is the Board of Education’s role here?
What is the Board of Education’s role? They represent the parents and the taxpayers. Many of them have kids who have already been through the school system and want to preserve the level of education that our district is known to provide. Should this schedule change be solely the principal’s choice?
I am asking the school board to step in now and reconsider their decision to implement these changes.
Eva Perretti
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