By Ciera Sesock
On Tuesday, December 15, the Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) released a new, day-long schedule that will replace the previous, shorter one that separated kids into two tracks.
This new schedule has been rumored for a few months. Teachers and district officials have been on the fence about whether or not adopting a new schedule would be beneficial to the students.
According to Mr. Miller, a teacher at Redwood High School, there are some concerns with the new schedule. “I’m concerned that the focus of the schedule committee was only on students who are struggling. There are lots of students who have been doing good work and taking responsibility for asynchronous work and who have good grades. I teach seniors who will now have to rearrange work schedules and COS class schedules.” Some students have jobs and others are taking COS classes, which is a concerning factor for Miller.
Another concern brought up by Miller is “that this schedule change doubles class sizes on Zoom. Smaller class sizes allow for more personal teacher to student interactions. Struggling students need smaller classes.” Previously teachers had smaller classes and focused less on students at once.
Despite the concerns, Miller still voted for the new schedule because “people with a lot more invested in the process of developing it made a compelling argument that this schedule change will be best for our most vulnerable and struggling students.”
The purpose of the new schedule is to allow students to have more learning time with their teachers. On December 16, 2020, there was a Q&A at the district office to address some of the concerns. You can watch the 37 minute Q&A by clicking here.
In the Q&A, Mr. Shin, the principal at Redwood High School, explained that the need for this change was partly due to “feedback from teachers about the need for extended time with their kids”.
Shin mentioned that this would allow teachers to “build positive relationships” with their students, “check for understanding” in class, and “provide varied support” for all of their students. He concluded that there was a “desire [by teachers] to have all their students with them at the same time.”
When Visalia Unified middle and high school students return after winter break, this new schedule will be put to the test. If you have any more questions or concerns about the new schedule, visit vusd.org.
Tags: 2021