As the end of this school year approaches, teachers focus on the vote for next year’s bell schedule, with results to be available in the coming months
Staff Writer
Towards the end of each school year, teachers have the contractual right to vote on the bell schedule for the next academic year. This year’s ballot opened on Monday, March 24th, and closed on Friday, March 28th, giving teachers a week to vote on their preferred schedule in terms of the number of block periods and whether to implement a late start. Two weeks later, a follow-up ballot will be held, allowing teachers to decide on the number of FLEX periods within a week. The different options of schedules include having three six-period days with two block days, incorporating FLEX into six-period days, and maintaining the current schedule.
Teachers’ schedule preferences come down to various, competing factors including concerns with the appropriate use of time during FLEX and the length and breadth of curriculums for different subjects. Ms. Martinez, a dance and PE teacher, said, “Personally, I like our old schedule with three six-period days and two block days. It’s hard to have activity classes that are over an hour long as kids struggle to focus and usually need more breaks during class.”
On the other hand, Mr. Baker, an AP Biology teacher, favors a schedule with more block periods. He said, “With science being lab-based, block periods are essential because many labs cannot be paused halfway and continued the next day, especially when working with certain chemicals or live specimens.”
Diya Kulkarni, a junior, believes that FLEX during block periods is crucial to students’ academic experience. She said, “I like the current bell schedule because the FLEX time allows students to get a head start on their work, and longer periods allow more information to be taught to students rather than rushing through a short period.”
Mr. Baker also believes that students should be able to vote on which schedules they like. To play his part in this, he has his students vote in a poll during class on which schedule they like best, and he places his vote according to his students’ majority vote. Mr. Baker said, “I encourage other teachers to ask your students. One of the most disappointing things is that so many teachers say, ‘No, I refuse to ask my students what schedule they prefer.’ And while you don’t have to go with their choice as your vote, at least ask them. Students’ opinions matter.”
Like students, parents also do not have a say in the scheduling process. While no process to formalize parents’ input currently exists, Ms. Martinez said, “Parents don’t always understand what’s happening in the classroom. I do think that [their] voice is an important thing to consider. So, if there was a formal way to get information from [parents], that would actually probably help our debates.”
As teachers figure out their votes regarding the upcoming bell schedule, students and parents await to see what next year’s bell schedule will be. “I just think that it’s bizarre that teachers know that they are going to dictate what these students will have as a schedule, and still not ask their students what schedule they prefer. We want you guys to feel empowered by being a part of the decision-making process,” said Mr. Baker.
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