Schedule Change Proposed for California High School

may have a new class schedule next year.

More than 60 parents voiced concerns over the possible change that was proposed by Principal Mark Corti at two separate parent forums on Thursday.

For 15 years, Cal High has run on a block schedule, meaning students have three classes in a day, each 100 minutes long.

Students go to their first, third, and fifth periods one day, then attend their second, fourth, and sixth periods the following day.

The proposed change involves having one traditional schedule day every week where students will go to all their classes, each one 50 minutes long.

Corti said the primary reason for the change is so that students see their teachers three times every week.

“I’ve been passionate about [the change] because I believe in student-teacher contact,” Corti said. “The contact is important, not only academically, but it’s important relationally.”

He went on to point out that the schedule change would benefit students who are struggling with their classes by giving them extra time with their teachers.

Parents brought up a variety of arguments at the forum, including concern over homework and tests on the traditional day, the complexity of the new schedule, and conflicts with extracurricular activities and sports.

Donna Von Der Lieth, whose daughter is a sophomore, believes it is unnecessary to make such a drastic change so that students on the lower-end of the academic spectrum have more teacher contact.

“If you have a level playing field, those that want to go (forward) will seek it out, and those that don’t will face the consequences,” she said. “The change is more disruptive than helpful.”

Junior Roshni Mistry, who came to the forum to represent many of her peers’ opinions, voiced similar concerns, saying the change was helping a minority at the expense of the majority.

Corti responded to these statements by referencing the school’s responsibility to educate all of the students.

“We can’t count on every kid to be an independent learner,” he said.

Corti stressed that the proposed schedule change was not just for the underperforming students, and that he hoped all, including those in the middle and on top, would benefit.

Scott Hodges, a U.S. History teacher Cal High for 13 years, said he has mixed feelings about the change. Hodges recognizes the merits of having three contacts per week with both his Advanced Placement and regular classes. His issue is with the way the change has been proposed.

“A lot of teachers are reticent about how it’s being approached,” Hodges said. “The general perception is that the decision has already been made, which is not helping the rapport [between the staff and administration].”

The final decision on the proposed schedule change will not be determined by either a staff or student vote, Corti said in an email to teachers Friday morning.

He said the administration is currently gathering information and that nothing has been decided yet.

The final decision will be made by the administration within the next two weeks.

The choice to not hold a teacher vote has increased tensions between the administration and staff regarding the change.

Many parents at Thursday’s forum said their children’s teachers have voiced negative opinions about the change in front of students.

“There’s fear of change just for the sake of change,” said Kim Doan-Lum, the mother of a freshman. “There’s a lot of negativity from the staff and from the students, and its snowballing.”

The main arguments coming from teachers are that year-long lesson plans will have to be completely changed, and that the 50-minute periods will be too short to be productive.

Both Hodges and Corti acknowledged that it would come down to the teachers to make the new schedule successful if it is enacted.

Corti is aware of the resistance from staff and students.

He said that he has conducted multiple meetings with teachers over the matter, spoken to several classes to get student feedback, and held the Thursday forums to understand parents’ opinions.

Not all feedback has been negative, though. Ritika Iyer, a junior at Cal High, said she would not have a problem with the schedule change.

“All the negative backlash is unnecessary,” she said. “I understand the other side of it and why people would be against it, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”

Though parents remained hesitant about supporting the change, several of them left the forum with a more open attitude toward the proposal.

Despite opposition, the administration is moving forward with developing specific details about the possible schedule change.

The administration has not yet decided on what day classes will convert to the traditional schedule. They are currently considering Monday.

If the Monday schedule occurs, staff meetings normally held on Mondays would be moved to Wednesdays, allowing students a later start-time for school on Wednesdays.

In addition, the tutorial period, a daily 30 minute block of time for students to study and work on assignments, would also be eliminated on Mondays.

Another proposal to change the block schedule was made in 2003, but it did not pass after failing to gain the required 75-percent approval from the staff vote.

Cal High is the only high school in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District that does not operate with a traditional schedule of all classes every day.

Corti said he believes a schedule mixture of block and traditional would be superior to a complete switch to a full traditional schedule.