Block scheduling petition -- APS

[Anonymous]

There's a new petition making the rounds against block scheduling in APS. Just saw this posted on AEM. This is for Williamsburg, but apparently Gunston is moving to block as well.

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/PostponeWMSBlockScheduling

[Anonymous]

Why is block scheduling bad?

[Anonymous]

^^ My son is on a block schedule, wherein he attends 6 classes per day (one class is dropped). Not sure what the issue is with block scheduling? I actually like it because he gets 6 days of PE (which he needs) before he gets a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ My son is on a block schedule, wherein he attends 6 classes per day (one class is dropped). Not sure what the issue is with block scheduling? I actually like it because he gets 6 days of PE (which he needs) before he gets a break.

There are lots of different kinds of block schedules. The one in the petition would mean some weeks your son would have PE only twice a week (since essentially you'd follow one schedule on A days and another on B days. So one week you'd have three A days, the next you'd have two).

To answer the other pp's question, block scheduling is not inherently bad. However, its efficacy for middle schools is questionable (do middle schoolers really sit still and focus for 90 minutes?). There are also major concerns about the impact on the arts (some block schedules destroy music programs since kids don't get practice every day) and sequential disciplines like math and world languages.

The Williamsburg saga that is this petition, however, has been particularly controversial because of the poor way it's been communicated and rolled out. Jay Mathews of the Washington Post has already written two columns on it this year, the most recent one basically calling out the PTA president for publicly declaring neutrality on the issue while lobbying behind the scenes to make it happen over the objection of parents. I just looked at the petition and there are already close to 80 signatures.

[Anonymous]

It's also worth noting that switching to block scheduling requires training, and there is only so much time and $ available for training. Why devote the resources to something with no proven advantages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ My son is on a block schedule, wherein he attends 6 classes per day (one class is dropped). Not sure what the issue is with block scheduling? I actually like it because he gets 6 days of PE (which he needs) before he gets a break.

That rotating block schedule is not the one they're looking at. I actually like that type of block scheduling and wish my school did it. It'd be a nice compromise between the people who want 90 minute blocks vs the traditional 45 minute/period 7 period day. But it got voted down where I work.

I've worked at a full block middle school (90 minute periods that meet every other day), a traditional 7 period a day middle school, and a modified block middle school that does two days of block and three days of 7 periods/day. I like the full block schedule the least. The full block where I only got to see kids twice a week every other week was atrocious not only in terms of getting middle schoolers to focus but because there were times I wouldn't see my kids for four days at a time if, for example, I saw them on Thursday and then we had a Monday off for a holiday. They had zero recollection of what they had learned the previous class period and I spent a ton of time constantly reteaching. It is also difficult (for math) for kids to learn multiple topics in one day. What would typically take two 45 minute periods, I have to put together into one 90 minute block. Best practice for block teaching says NOT to do that but I have no choice.

[Anonymous]

I always read these block scheduling posts with interest. My kids are still in elementary schools in Arlington, so I have no first hand experience with block scheduling yet. As such, I'll reserve judgment on its merits and drawbacks.

I understand that there seem to be several block type schedules. Is there a reason that you can't have a combination of shorter classes (45 minutes) and longer classes (90 minutes) every day? I grew up in England, and that is how our school schedules always worked (for the school years equivalent to middle school and high school). The day was divided into 7 or 8 periods of approximately 40-45 minutes each. I can't remember exactly. All of our classes were either single periods or double periods. In other words, a single period of French (45 minutes) or a double period of maths (90 minutes). I can't recall if some subjects were always singles or always doubles, but I imagine that would have been an option. Interestingly, I do remember lots of double maths lessons!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always read these block scheduling posts with interest. My kids are still in elementary schools in Arlington, so I have no first hand experience with block scheduling yet. As such, I'll reserve judgment on its merits and drawbacks.

I understand that there seem to be several block type schedules. Is there a reason that you can't have a combination of shorter classes (45 minutes) and longer classes (90 minutes) every day? I grew up in England, and that is how our school schedules always worked (for the school years equivalent to middle school and high school). The day was divided into 7 or 8 periods of approximately 40-45 minutes each. I can't remember exactly. All of our classes were either single periods or double periods. In other words, a single period of French (45 minutes) or a double period of maths (90 minutes). I can't recall if some subjects were always singles or always doubles, but I imagine that would have been an option. Interestingly, I do remember lots of double maths lessons!

Yes, you can do this. In fact, I think some people signing the petition would be OK with something like that at WMS. Instead, they're trying to go with a schedule that's basically nothing but 90 minute classes on alternating days. there would be only ONE class that met daily for kids, plus something called the Wolf Period, which is ATSS for kids who need remedial help and intended to be enrichment for kids who don't -- but also has the potential to just end up as a study hall.

The principal's idea of preparing teachers for this has been to tell them to read a book and go shadow a teacher in a school elsewhere that has block.

[Anonymous]

I think most parents can see the benefits of an occasional longer class in a subject, and most teachers wouldn't need much or any training to take advantage of it. But expecting 11 year olds to stay focused for 90 minutes at a time, every day? That's fucked up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The principal's idea of preparing teachers for this has been to tell them to read a book and go shadow a teacher in a school elsewhere that has block.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always read these block scheduling posts with interest. My kids are still in elementary schools in Arlington, so I have no first hand experience with block scheduling yet. As such, I'll reserve judgment on its merits and drawbacks.

I understand that there seem to be several block type schedules. Is there a reason that you can't have a combination of shorter classes (45 minutes) and longer classes (90 minutes) every day? I grew up in England, and that is how our school schedules always worked (for the school years equivalent to middle school and high school). The day was divided into 7 or 8 periods of approximately 40-45 minutes each. I can't remember exactly. All of our classes were either single periods or double periods. In other words, a single period of French (45 minutes) or a double period of maths (90 minutes). I can't recall if some subjects were always singles or always doubles, but I imagine that would have been an option. Interestingly, I do remember lots of double maths lessons!

Yes, you can do this. In fact, I think some people signing the petition would be OK with something like that at WMS. Instead, they're trying to go with a schedule that's basically nothing but 90 minute classes on alternating days. there would be only ONE class that met daily for kids, plus something called the Wolf Period, which is ATSS for kids who need remedial help and intended to be enrichment for kids who don't -- but also has the potential to just end up as a study hall.

The principal's idea of preparing teachers for this has been to tell them to read a book and go shadow a teacher in a school elsewhere that has block.

The 90 min/alternating day block with one class everyday is the schedule at my DC's middle school. So far it's worked well because it helps DC manage the increased homework load from elementary school well. DC generally doesn't have more than 3 assignments per night with a gap day if one requires more time. DC has language everyday. The double period of math hasn't seem to have an adverse impact. I think DC likes getting a break from having the same classes everyday. I'm sure this is different for each child and that teachers have different perspectives. I also assumed this kind of block is used in high school, so why not get acclimated now--is that not the case?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always read these block scheduling posts with interest. My kids are still in elementary schools in Arlington, so I have no first hand experience with block scheduling yet. As such, I'll reserve judgment on its merits and drawbacks.

I understand that there seem to be several block type schedules. Is there a reason that you can't have a combination of shorter classes (45 minutes) and longer classes (90 minutes) every day? I grew up in England, and that is how our school schedules always worked (for the school years equivalent to middle school and high school). The day was divided into 7 or 8 periods of approximately 40-45 minutes each. I can't remember exactly. All of our classes were either single periods or double periods. In other words, a single period of French (45 minutes) or a double period of maths (90 minutes). I can't recall if some subjects were always singles or always doubles, but I imagine that would have been an option. Interestingly, I do remember lots of double maths lessons!

Yes, you can do this. In fact, I think some people signing the petition would be OK with something like that at WMS. Instead, they're trying to go with a schedule that's basically nothing but 90 minute classes on alternating days. there would be only ONE class that met daily for kids, plus something called the Wolf Period, which is ATSS for kids who need remedial help and intended to be enrichment for kids who don't -- but also has the potential to just end up as a study hall.

The principal's idea of preparing teachers for this has been to tell them to read a book and go shadow a teacher in a school elsewhere that has block.

The 90 min/alternating day block with one class everyday is the schedule at my DC's middle school. So far it's worked well because it helps DC manage the increased homework load from elementary school well. DC generally doesn't have more than 3 assignments per night with a gap day if one requires more time. DC has language everyday. The double period of math hasn't seem to have an adverse impact. I think DC likes getting a break from having the same classes everyday. I'm sure this is different for each child and that teachers have different perspectives. I also assumed this kind of block is used in high school, so why not get acclimated now--is that not the case?

Williamsburg feeds into Yorktown HS. Yorktown doesn't have a block schedule that looks anything like what is proposed for WMS. It basically blocks two classes (English and Histor) twice a week. So, this isn't about acclimating students.

Really, there's no real reason being given for this. They've tried a bunch of half-hearted explanations, but none has been particularly convincing. It feels like change for the sake of change by a principal in his first principalship who has never worked with middle schoolers. He basically arrived at the school and decided it had to have block scheduling for some reason (some think he's carrying water for the superintendent).

[Anonymous]

The petition has nearly 90 signatures now and prompted a weird e-mail from the principal that contained a lot of inaccuracies, according to one of the comments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always read these block scheduling posts with interest. My kids are still in elementary schools in Arlington, so I have no first hand experience with block scheduling yet. As such, I'll reserve judgment on its merits and drawbacks.

I understand that there seem to be several block type schedules. Is there a reason that you can't have a combination of shorter classes (45 minutes) and longer classes (90 minutes) every day? I grew up in England, and that is how our school schedules always worked (for the school years equivalent to middle school and high school). The day was divided into 7 or 8 periods of approximately 40-45 minutes each. I can't remember exactly. All of our classes were either single periods or double periods. In other words, a single period of French (45 minutes) or a double period of maths (90 minutes). I can't recall if some subjects were always singles or always doubles, but I imagine that would have been an option. Interestingly, I do remember lots of double maths lessons!

What you are describing from England is exactly how block scheduling was done in Germany for grades 7 and up. There was always a short break after 45 minutes, to get up and move around, and eat/drink, including halfway through the "double". It was not problematic in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What you are describing from England is exactly how block scheduling was done in Germany for grades 7 and up. There was always a short break after 45 minutes, to get up and move around, and eat/drink, including halfway through the "double". It was not problematic in any way.

Here in America, you've earned yourself a "Cool story, bro."