Easton High School Moving Closer to Block Scheduling

Students at could be attending classes in a whole new way next year.

School board members Tuesday night heard a proposal for switching to block scheduling at the school, which would into five 80-minute periods. 

Board member William Rider noted that the district has been considering this idea , and says it's time to vote when the board meets later this month.

"Teachers are in the classroom to teach and I think that's critical," said Rider, a former principal at the high school. "The nice thing about this, is when I go through this, I don’t see a lot of study halls. I see accountability."

The schedule would include a mix of classes that met 90 days out of every semester, and those that would meet every other day. 

Michael Koch, principal for 11th and 12th grades, says the schedule will give students more time to put what they're learning into practice.

"We don't have enough application, synthesis, analysis taking place," he told the board.

Koch also noted that the scheduling would make things run much more smoothly between classes.

"Right now, four periods a day, we have roughly 600, 700 students moving in the hallway," he said.

Board member Kerri Leonard-Ellison had reservations about launching the scheduling next school year.

"Jumping in next year may not be the way to do it and do it right," she said.

"As principal…I'm telling you we are ready," Koch said, noting that the district could begin meeting with parents in the next few months.

"Based on your answers, I would differ," Leonard-Ellison said.

Board member Bob Arnts had concerns, noting that -- while he didn't have concrete numbers -- he knew of three other local districts that went to block scheduling, and then went back again.

"Obviously they trashed it," Arnts said, although he acknowledged that he thinks Easton will do more preparations.

It's key that Easton communicates with parents on this, said Jena Brodhead, a district teacher who says her child has block-scheduled classes at a different school district.

It would work, she said, if her child's teachers didn't communicate with parents.

"We can adapt," Brodhead said, "but we can't guess."