Students may have more class

The Mat-Su Borough School District board will make its decision in the upcoming month about whether or not to expand the high school schedule into a seven-period day. My personal take on this issue is very cautious and worried for students.

I would draw comparisons of this decision to Clint Eastwood. With a seven-period day, the MSBSD seems to be asking educators: “Do you feel lucky, punk? Do you?”

While luck has very little to do with quality education, the board seems to be taking a gamble on the quality brand of education it will offer.

MSBSD high schools currently operate under a six-period day. The state Department of Education and Early Development has recently passed a recommendation for civics in all high schools. Civics would be an entry level social studies class focused on life skills that every citizen needs beyond high school.

The positives of a seven-period school day are very simple, and very rewarding. With one extra class per day, you can teach more. An extra class per semester allows the district to increase graduation requirements and offer more variable electives to pique student interest. At Palmer High School, where International Baccalaureate students have six full periods of rigorous IB classes, this will allow them to have a relaxing class they can enjoy, such as culinary arts or gym.

The negatives of a seven-period school day are that each class suffers, to the tune of about 18 days a year of lost instruction time. Teachers will be asked to teach an extra class to add to their preparation, and students will have more homework in addition to their other six classes.

The school district is trying to pack as much education in as it can and ultimately raise the standard of education offered, which is a nice, warm, fuzzy thought.

But in reality, the pressure comes down on the teachers, who will be asked to pack an extra 18 days into their instruction, and most importantly keep the students’ test scores up. The quick fix solution would be to add one more hour to the school day. But that is far easier said than done in the vast MSBSD.

Let’s hope that either the educators in the MSBSD are the quickest draw in the north, or that the school board examines other helpful changes to aid the extra period before implementation.

For more information, contact MSBSD Public Information Officer Catherine Esary at catherine.esary@matsuk12.us or 746-9251.

Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School who also writes for the Frontiersman’s Sports section.