Initial feedback from teachers regarding the sample schedules was gathered and discussed at today’s BLT meeting.  Notes are below.

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Discussion of Schedules: Feedback and questions raised via email and conversations are included below. Please keep in mind that there are many opportunities to provide feedback to BLT. If you want to make sure your voice is heard, please take the time to email BLT reps, attend a BLT meeting, or meet with Kathy on Monday or Kim on Friday.

It is so important that we remain open, flexible, and supportive of one another.

A/B +C SCHEDULE

Feedback:

• • Teachers being asked to teach more hours per week (2.5 hours)
  • Teachers have less prep time (down 15 minutes)
  • Seems like we can keep everything while also adding to it
  • Offers the opportunity to go in depth in our class work
  • Allows time for projects during longer periods
  • Students won’t have as many transitions to make
  • Best for students; other schools have used it (Nathan Hale)
  • Huge benefit to ASD students due to less transition and more time in one place
  • More options in terms of scheduling inclusion
  • Math, World Language, Music—concerns that all classes won’t meet everyday
  • Attention span of middle school students: are classes too long?
  • Professional development for teachers is needed! Longer class periods require change in teaching methods
  • Better way of building relationships with students due to more time in class period
  • Concern over what exactly students would do during Activity
  • In order to accommodate P.E. requirements, some of the “Activity” classes will need to be P.E. OR a full year Music class OR a World Language
  • Science dept. overall liked A/B schedule

Questions Raised:

• • How do we keep each teacher’s student load under 150 students total without adding a great deal more staff? (quantify how much more staff is needed)
  • What would teachers teach during Activity?
  • How would students sign up for the Activity?
  • Could a teacher teach 4 days of Activity and then have 1 day as a study day/SSR in order for teachers to have additional prep time?

Social Studies/PE Semester Schedule

Feedback:

• • Science happy with that schedule although concerned about SS teachers and if we would need new staff
  • Not reasonable to scale back SS in both 7^th and 8^th grade
  • Just because the district/Eckstein doesn’t have a clear idea of SS, the state does and we can use that to guide curriculum
  • Add more semester-long electives (Music and World Language)
  • Moving World Geography to 6^th grade in conjunction with Eastern Hemisphere
  • 6^th grade level—LA and SS work together on literacy skills together—cutting SS might impact literacy
  • Literacy may become more of a burden for LA across the board
  • This schedule has the potential to create divisiveness among staff: pits SS against full-year electives
  • Big value in this schedule is that it is staying as close to our current schedule as possible

Questions Raised:

• • What happens to some of the SS staff?
  • Why are we not putting the option on the table that parents/students have to choose between Music and World Language?
  • Could PE be offered year-round two days per week (T/Th) and a World Language/SS/Music the other three days per week (M, W, F)?
  • Could we add a Zero period to alleviate the pressure on SS/Music/World Languages?

7^th Period Schedule

Feedback:

• • Science doesn’t like this — periods are way too short to run labs
  • Math — difficult to teach in 45 minutes
  • Teachers would have to teach 6 classes per day instead of 5
  • Fewer students in classes (150/6)
  • 45 minute class periods with 7 periods may produce a more frenetic environment
  • Easier to schedule inclusion classes due to more periods offered during the day
  • Gives students the opportunity to take 3 electives

Questions Raised:

• • How do we keep each teacher’s student load under 150 students total without adding a great deal more staff? (quantify how much more staff is needed)
  • In courses supported by district curriculum, what are the expectations for time per class?

General Thoughts

Information we need to continue on all schedules:

• • How will the staffing be affected in each schedule? Will we need more staff? Less staff? Different staffing assignments?
  • What data should be used to make this decision?
  • What set of principles will be used to guide this schedule?

Updated List of “Things We Know”:

• • P.E. waivers will be available at 7^th/8^th grade (religious, health, or outside physical activity)

Constraints that may affect schedule decision:

• • Budget
  • Staffing
  • School enrollment

Monday, January 26, 2009

Dear Staff and Eckstein Community,

BLT has reviewed the survey results from staff and families.  This information was used to build sample master schedules that took your feedback into consideration.  The following three models represent potential schedules that will allow Eckstein to comply with the added requirements from the district regarding Science and the state law regarding PE. Please keep in mind that these models are intended to encourage continued discussion and elicit feedback from you.

As your principal, I am responsible for making this decision for our community. The more feedback I receive, the better able I will be to construct a schedule that balances the needs of students, staff, and families.  Continued feedback around specific scheduling paradigms such as alternating days, HR, length of class time, class size etc. would be particularly helpful.

Opportunities for providing feedback are available in the following ways:

• Building Leadership Team (BLT) Meetings on Thursdays in February (Room 205; 2:30-4:00) —parents welcome
• Scheduled Staff meetings
• Room 205 on Mondays (2:30-3:30) —(parents welcome)
• Eckstein Library on Fridays (2:30-3:30) —(parents welcome)
• Email ideas/thoughts/questions to schedule@ecksteineagles.org
• Conversations with BLT members
• PTSA Meeting — February 9^th — 7:00-8:30 pm

Thank you for your willingness to be open and flexible.

Sincerely,

Kim Whitworth

Sample Schedules (.doc)

Changes in requirements for next year mean the schedule at Eckstein next year will be different.  The requirements are:

• full year science at all three grade levels (district requirement)
• an average of 100 minutes of PE per week for all students (state law)

Budget changes coming out of Olympia and the effect of school closures elsewhere in the district are unknown but may also affect the schedule.

To provide input to Principal Kim Whitworth, who is responsible for devising the schedule, the Building Leadership Team (BLT) has started gathering input from parents, teachers, staff and students.

Over the next month or so BLT will be sharing possible schedules to get additional feedback.  The February 9th PTSA meeting (7:00-8:30pm, Library) will be one opportunity for parents to meet with Kim to hear more.  You can also send email to schedule@ecksteineagles.org or add comments to this and other schedule related posts.

Are you starting to think about high school?  Tours of area high schools are starting.  The schedule is here.