Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Bob Erb, school board president, seconded Dan Bartholf's motion to move forward with the proposed schedule change.
MONROE - Despite some parliamentary procedure limbo, the Monroe school board voted unanimously Monday to have the high school move forward with a proposed plan to switch to a trimester schedule for the 2018-19 school year.
School board member Dan Bartholf made the motion to proceed with changing from a semester to a trimester schedule at Monroe High School. Bob Erb, board president, seconded Bartholf's motion, but some members hesitated to vote on it. Board member Rich Deprez made an amended motion to endorse the switch to a trimester schedule. After some debate about whether the board should be in the business of approving school scheduling changes, Deprez withdrew his motion.
"I worry that we are setting a precedent that we don't want to be setting," board member Amy Bazley said. "I don't have an administration or teaching degree. I don't want to micromanage and tell you how to do your job. Ultimately, I don't think we need to vote on it."
When Monroe Principal Chris Medenwaldt made a presentation to the board in December about the high school switching to a trimester schedule, Bartholf was at first reluctant to back the proposal because of the timetable and he thought more input was needed from parents and students. Bartholf later met with Medenwaldt and high school Associate Principal Jeriamy Jackson about his concerns. He now supports the trimester schedule but said he didn't like the timing in which the scheduling change was brought to the board.
"I've never been opposed to the trimester schedule," Bartholf said. "I just want to make sure we do it right. I think this is something that we should have had more notice on. It's something we should have known back in September, so we could have spent more time on it. It's a big decision that affects a lot of people. I don't think everything should come to the board for approval. This is a big change. I personally think, and I know I'm in the minority on this, that this is something the board needs to decide on."
Instead of having two 18-week semesters, high school administrators are implementing a plan that would have three 12-week trimesters. Students would still need 25 credits to graduate. Each class in the five-period day would be one hour and seven minutes. The school day would include a 30-minute flexible time after first period where students could work with teachers on skills they are struggling with or work on extension activities in areas they excel, complete missing work or retake tests. Other students may have time in the weight room or on other activities.
Medenwaldt hosted two parent listening sessions on the trimester schedule with 24 parents attending, and he had a student session with 60 in attendance. High school administrators and teachers have been reviewing scheduling changes for two years, he said at a previous meeting. About 50 total students and parents filled out surveys on the potential trimester schedule, with 92 percent of the 38 students liking the fact that they could focus on fewer classes and 67 percent saying they would have less stress. However, while only 33 percent of the students perceived the flex time as beneficial, 52 percent of parents favored the flex time.
In the survey, students and parents indicated concern about gaps in instruction between trimesters and the length of classes. However, teachers can monitor how students are faring with these issues.
If board members were looking at using one school schedule to impact student achievement, Monroe District Administrator Rick Waski warned that is a slippery slope. Waski supports the switch to the trimester schedule because it includes the flex time where teachers will be available to students.
"There is no magic schedule," Waski said. "I think No. 1, RTI (response or flex time) has shown to leverage higher learning in students. I'm sure it will not be at 100 percent in September 2018. Every schedule, no matter how you divide up time, has an increase in frequency and less periods or longer periods and less frequency."
Students who take just band or chorus for 67 minutes would have the course for all three trimesters in a year. Students who take both band and chorus would have one class period where teachers from both would share students.
"We wanted to make sure students could perform throughout the year," Medenwaldt said.
Vocal music teacher Alexander Lentz, who was one of roughly 10 MHS teachers attending the meeting Monday, said the key would be having concert schedules set up in advance for chorus and instrumental music.
Lentz said the teachers can incorporate music theory lessons, core curriculum concepts and performance lessons so that students from both could be included in the same class.
"As it gets closer to the performance, they could spend 60 percent of their time in the one they have a concert in coming up," he said.
Medenwaldt said he will rely on teachers and professional development for making sure teachers are prepared to teach longer periods and can delve deeper into curricula content.
"We have to make sure teachers are available to kids and make sure (flex time) is valuable and we are meeting needs," Medenwaldt said.
High school business teacher Sherri Hendrickson favors the switch to a trimester schedule.
"I do feel strongly with the longer class periods I will be able to dust off some of those hands-on projects I could use," Hendrickson said.
Medenwaldt said the biggest concerns of students were not having access to study halls and longer class times in some subjects.
To gauge the success of the trimester schedule, Medenwaldt said the high school may survey students on their stress and how engaged they are in class. Other ways Medenwaldt said the district can measure the success of the change is tracking the number of classes students fail, looking at GPAs and tracking discipline referrals and attendance.
If a student is failing a class, a teacher may not know what the student has learned if they don't turn in assignments or retake tests. With every student required to be at school after first period for the flex time, teachers will have another chance to work with them.
"We really don't have a mechanism to really help with that if they are not available before or after school," Jackson said. "There are not a lot of tools in our tool box. This will give us another tool."
MONROE - Despite some parliamentary procedure limbo, the Monroe school board voted unanimously Monday to have the high school move forward with a proposed plan to switch to a trimester schedule for the 2018-19 school year.
School board member Dan Bartholf made the motion to proceed with changing from a semester to a trimester schedule at Monroe High School. Bob Erb, board president, seconded Bartholf's motion, but some members hesitated to vote on it. Board member Rich Deprez made an amended motion to endorse the switch to a trimester schedule. After some debate about whether the board should be in the business of approving school scheduling changes, Deprez withdrew his motion.
"I worry that we are setting a precedent that we don't want to be setting," board member Amy Bazley said. "I don't have an administration or teaching degree. I don't want to micromanage and tell you how to do your job. Ultimately, I don't think we need to vote on it."
When Monroe Principal Chris Medenwaldt made a presentation to the board in December about the high school switching to a trimester schedule, Bartholf was at first reluctant to back the proposal because of the timetable and he thought more input was needed from parents and students. Bartholf later met with Medenwaldt and high school Associate Principal Jeriamy Jackson about his concerns. He now supports the trimester schedule but said he didn't like the timing in which the scheduling change was brought to the board.
"I've never been opposed to the trimester schedule," Bartholf said. "I just want to make sure we do it right. I think this is something that we should have had more notice on. It's something we should have known back in September, so we could have spent more time on it. It's a big decision that affects a lot of people. I don't think everything should come to the board for approval. This is a big change. I personally think, and I know I'm in the minority on this, that this is something the board needs to decide on."
Instead of having two 18-week semesters, high school administrators are implementing a plan that would have three 12-week trimesters. Students would still need 25 credits to graduate. Each class in the five-period day would be one hour and seven minutes. The school day would include a 30-minute flexible time after first period where students could work with teachers on skills they are struggling with or work on extension activities in areas they excel, complete missing work or retake tests. Other students may have time in the weight room or on other activities.
Medenwaldt hosted two parent listening sessions on the trimester schedule with 24 parents attending, and he had a student session with 60 in attendance. High school administrators and teachers have been reviewing scheduling changes for two years, he said at a previous meeting. About 50 total students and parents filled out surveys on the potential trimester schedule, with 92 percent of the 38 students liking the fact that they could focus on fewer classes and 67 percent saying they would have less stress. However, while only 33 percent of the students perceived the flex time as beneficial, 52 percent of parents favored the flex time.
In the survey, students and parents indicated concern about gaps in instruction between trimesters and the length of classes. However, teachers can monitor how students are faring with these issues.
If board members were looking at using one school schedule to impact student achievement, Monroe District Administrator Rick Waski warned that is a slippery slope. Waski supports the switch to the trimester schedule because it includes the flex time where teachers will be available to students.
"There is no magic schedule," Waski said. "I think No. 1, RTI (response or flex time) has shown to leverage higher learning in students. I'm sure it will not be at 100 percent in September 2018. Every schedule, no matter how you divide up time, has an increase in frequency and less periods or longer periods and less frequency."
Students who take just band or chorus for 67 minutes would have the course for all three trimesters in a year. Students who take both band and chorus would have one class period where teachers from both would share students.
"We wanted to make sure students could perform throughout the year," Medenwaldt said.
Vocal music teacher Alexander Lentz, who was one of roughly 10 MHS teachers attending the meeting Monday, said the key would be having concert schedules set up in advance for chorus and instrumental music.
Lentz said the teachers can incorporate music theory lessons, core curriculum concepts and performance lessons so that students from both could be included in the same class.
"As it gets closer to the performance, they could spend 60 percent of their time in the one they have a concert in coming up," he said.
Medenwaldt said he will rely on teachers and professional development for making sure teachers are prepared to teach longer periods and can delve deeper into curricula content.
"We have to make sure teachers are available to kids and make sure (flex time) is valuable and we are meeting needs," Medenwaldt said.
High school business teacher Sherri Hendrickson favors the switch to a trimester schedule.
"I do feel strongly with the longer class periods I will be able to dust off some of those hands-on projects I could use," Hendrickson said.
Medenwaldt said the biggest concerns of students were not having access to study halls and longer class times in some subjects.
To gauge the success of the trimester schedule, Medenwaldt said the high school may survey students on their stress and how engaged they are in class. Other ways Medenwaldt said the district can measure the success of the change is tracking the number of classes students fail, looking at GPAs and tracking discipline referrals and attendance.
If a student is failing a class, a teacher may not know what the student has learned if they don't turn in assignments or retake tests. With every student required to be at school after first period for the flex time, teachers will have another chance to work with them.
"We really don't have a mechanism to really help with that if they are not available before or after school," Jackson said. "There are not a lot of tools in our tool box. This will give us another tool."