Letters to the Editor Dec 14
December 14, 2007
Horace Greeley’s former master scheduler offers insight into schedule
Patti Reuter
Horace Greeley’s former master scheduler offers insight into schedule
Dear Editor,
There is an old adage in life… if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The current scheduling model in place at Horace Greeley is unique and has been in place for approximately 35 years. One can only assume that the administrators at the time were looking for a way to give Greeley students every opportunity to reach the highest levels they set for themselves.
At first glance the multiple days and mods look impossible to understand. It is dismissed as overly complex and not workable. However, once one studies all it can do, one would be hard pressed not to admit what a masterpiece it truly is. From an administrative aspect, some things, such as attendance, are a challenge, but that is a software issue not part of the actual schedule.
High school, the foundation of a student’s academic career
Few will argue against the statement that high school is the foundation for a student’s academic career. I believe that 35 years ago, when this schedule was adapted, that is what its creators were striving for. Undoubtedly, Greeley is a special place where learning and learners are highly valued. They saw the value of allowing students to raise the bar high, and if a student felt they could handle a higher course load than that of the “average” number of classes, the modular schedule was able to accommodate their request.
Contact time between teacher and students is also maximized to its highest efficiency. There are no absolutes. There is no one course of study where it can be said that a class meets “x” out of “y” numbers of days. One has to summarize that there was a methodology to that thinking also. As an example, look at 9/10 English classes which meet 5 out of 6 days a cycle. One can summarize that underclassmen need more day to day contact with the instructor in order to build a more solid base before going on to an upper-level writing class.
This theory can be continued on to other courses of study. The majority of math and science classes meet 6 out of 6 days to allow teachers continual interaction with their students, enforcing concepts on a daily basis. There have been some arguments that the pressures of academics at Greeley has become too much for the students. I must question how that is an issue of the schedule, rather than not enough guidance for the students on setting appropriate goals for themselves. We need to remember they are still children, and sometimes need assistance in making proper choices for their lives.
Past practice was that Greeley’s schedule was request driven, not course driven. What does that mean? Simply that the master schedule for the current year is obsolete at the end of the current year. This makes for a very labor intensive process to give the rising classes the best schedule possible. But every student at Greeley deserves nothing less.
Under current schedule, every student’s academic needs were met
Allow me to state that I am a bit of an expert in the area of master scheduling. It was my honor to be the master scheduler at Greeley from 1998 until 2005. When I left Greeley in the spring of 2005, I did not do so until I knew the students of 2005 - 2006 had a working schedule in place.
Building a new schedule each year was not an easy process, it started with numerous meetings with department chairs, guidance counselors and administrators to get the basic data needed to start the process. This was followed by months of work, starting with the smallest communities within Greeley and working out until the process was completed. Was it worth it? No doubt in my mind, the work we did as a team made sure that every student’s academic needs were met.
I seriously doubt the same answer will be reached from the proposed block schedule. With the ever growing responsibility of No Child Left Behind, will students with special needs get the special accommodations they so rightfully deserve? Will the student with a desire to take more than one science class be able to fit his or her request into a limited block system? And what about art and music programs that help make well-rounded young adults?
In summary, I strongly suggest that the administration and its committee go back and re-examine the situation. If they are looking for a way to make their lives easier, at the cost of the teachers and students of Greeley, then the proposed block schedule is the way to go. However, if they are truly concerned for Greeley’s academic populations, then I suggest they go back to basics, learn how what is in place truly works, talk to those that put the system in place in the first place, and appreciate the greatness they possess.
Patti Reuter
Allentown, PA
Click here for a printable view of this article.
Click here to read more Letters to the Editor articles.Click here to send a copy of this article via email.
We're interested in your opinion. Click here to submit a comment on this article, or any other.
