By Samantha Haley
As the recent recession continues to damage the United States’ economy, Oregon schools are beginning to feel the repercussions of funding loss. Due to recent necessity to reduce Centennial’s budget by $6 million to $10 million, the district office as well as administrators have begun searching for ways to uphold the current atmosphere of CHS while cutting teaching staff and other activities. One of the many plans discussed is that of the high school turning to a seven period day.
“The idea has been discussed before,” states Vice Principal Sandi McClary, “as it is being now. [The seven period day is] just being considered now, its not a done deal yet.”
Instead of the normal block period schedule, where students attend four classes one day and four classes the next, the seven period schedule would cut one period from the day and would require students to attend each of their seven classes every day. Principal Mark Baier held a conference for all the teachers of CHS where he explained the necessity of the switch as well its overall benefits.
On the current block period schedule, at any given moment 19 teachers in the school will be on prep period where they are not teaching, but preparing for upcoming class. Out of 64 teachers, that means at any one time 25% of the teaching body is not actually actively teaching a class. Yet on a seven day period this number is reduced to only 14.2%, meaning that instead of the normal 55 classes being taught at any time, the number will increase to 65.5 classes. Thus teachers will be actively in front of the class teaching more during the day, since they will have six classes a day rather than three.
Another advantage to the seven period day is the instructional time allotted to students. The current block schedule gives students only 170 minutes per class to contact their teachers, meaning that depending on the week students may only be able to speak to their teachers during class on average, 425 minutes a week. But with the seven day period, the amount of weekly instructional time gained is 85 minutes more than the current schedule allows.
“The seven period day doesn’t really save money,” explains McClary. “But it does help use staff more efficiently, and with current plans to cut staff, class size is something that needs to be discussed.”
According to the district and administrator’s research, the change from a block schedule to a seven day schedule will not increase class sizes, if staff numbers remain as they do now. Class size on a block schedule is about 31 students, that means that the average teachers caseload (total amount of students they teach) is about 188 students. On the proposed schedule the class size would be reduced to 27 students and the caseload of teacher’s to 165 students. But with recent announcements from Governor Ted Kulongoski that Centennial High School will need to reduce it’s budget significantly, staff cuts have been proposed. Of course the loss of teachers will change sizes from the previously predicted amount. It Centennial were to cut eight teachers, class size on a block period would increase to 35 students, caseload to 209. If CHS were to cut 12 teachers, class size would once again increase to 38 students and teachers’ caseloads to 229 students. But under the seven period day, the highest class size would reach is 33 students and the average teacher’s caseload would only increase to 200 students. Although cutting teachers would amount to larger classes and caseloads, the seven period day ultimately increases class size by two students rather than seven, and overall teacher caseload by 12 rather than 41.
One of the disadvantages to the schedule change is the loss of a class and a credit per semester. “Students will have to work harder to reach their graduation requirements,” McClary explains. Students graduation requirements will not be changed and therefore in order to graduate upperclassmen will need to take a full schedule in order to be eligible to receive their diploma on time. Teachers’ prep times will also be cut, although some see this as a positive change, teachers worry that they will have less time to prepare for classes during the day and will have to depend on more at-home and after school time.
“There are benefits to both schedules. I don’t really have a preference for either one, I just want a schedule that is best for the students under current conditions,” said McClary. The decision will be made as to whether CHS switches schedules sometime in July and students will be notified before registration through mail.