New High School Schedule Getting a Mixed Review

After $3.2 million dollars in changes and cuts to the , there were bound to be some issues for the new school year.

One of the more controversial changes made last spring was changing how the school day runs at .

This year students have , taking seven course offerings, rather than eight. Last year students took four 90-minute classes everyday each semester.

Under the new system each class lasts the entire year, rather than switching after the semester. It resembles a college schedule, offering four blocks on Tuesday/Thursday and three (plus a study lab) on Wednesday/Friday. 

The daily schedules are referred to as "blue" and "white" days, to help students remember what classes are on which day.

Susan Stein said her daughter was having trouble in the beginning and still struggled with it after a couple weeks in the system.

"She doesn't like it at all," Stein said in an email. "She says that it is very confusing and she still cannot figure out what day is which and how to study."

She said her daughter has left things she needed at school because she forgot which classes were the next day. That becomes an even harder problem when Monday switches off between "blue" and "white" days.

Other parents have seen some benefits, however.

Joe and Karen Lukas told Twinsburg Patch their son, also a sophomore, likes having "easy days" and can have more control over when he does his homework, since it's not always due the next day.

They also see it as a good option for the school in light of budget cuts.

"Given that the something had to change for costs, this was a great compromise," they said in an email. "I think the block scheduling is optimal since the vast majority of our teachers are invested in it."

They did say that students aren't able to "double up" like in previous years, taking two courses in the same subject in one school year.

Nora Suder-Riley, a teacher and the teachers' union president, said the new system has been a "juggling act as an educator."

She likes seeing students over the span of a year, helping teachers develop better relationships with students. It also helps the students learn better.

"Students get more time to absorb and comprehend content, which was a negative for some subjects in the standard block," Suder-Riley said via email.

On the down-side, she said teachers may go many days at a time without seeing students, which calls for "more thoughtful planning" and a "bigger role" for technology.

"The staff is getting accustomed to it, and some schedules are more challenging than others, but we will make it work," she said.

"It's getting there," said Principal Louise Teringo. "It's learning a routine."

She said some staff and students really like it after they get the schedule down.

"Once you remember the pattern, it gets better," Teringo added, saying students have made reminder cards in their lockers to remember what they have the next day.

To the freshman there's nothing shocking about the schedule, but the upper classmen were committed to the block. Teringo said she thinks they are starting to pick it up and sees it as a sign of maturity and learning to prepare for the next day like they would in a college course. 

"Some are looking at it positively," she said. "You get an assignment on a blue day, it's not due until the next blue day."

But what do the students think?

Twinsburg Patch took to Twitter, asking students their thoughts on the new schedule.

Brett Harney said: "I like it. Not too difficult of a class load."

Alexus Horn said: "I like it. It's pretty basic. The only down side is the Mondays switch and don't even have s pattern."

Nicole McGlinchy said: "It's good. You get an extra day to finish your homework! Useful for taking AP classes."

What do you think of the schedule this year?