Our new slogan, “Be the Change,” was echoed throughout LMHS during daily announcements this year. Well, students have finally taken it to heart, standing up for what they believe in and giving the administration the feedback they asked for. Yet it seems the administration only wants us to “be the change” if our ideas fit into their preconstructed mold.

After hinting at an overhaul and complete change of our current schedule the entire year, Dr. Reynolds finally announced the idea: switching to a 4-day-a-week block schedule. The idea was suggested to help lessen our stress. In reality, the idea of adapting to this completely new schedule sounds like more hassle than it’s worth to the majority of us. 

On Wednesday, after asking for and receiving lots of student feedback (the majority of which was negative), Dr. Reynolds announced that the new schedule will still be implemented in the fall. Although to parents and students the administration has emphasized the sole purpose of the change is to reduce student stress, on a Webex yesterday, Dr. Reynolds admitted that Lake Mary High School has been experiencing “stagnant academic performance” for the past few years. She hopes the new schedule will change that. 

In her email to LMHS students and parents, Dr. Reynolds cited the Challenge Success SPACE framework in support of the new schedule. Although a full block schedule is suggested, so is a modified block schedule (which we currently follow), along with 35+ other ideas about how to reduce the stress of school, such as no-homework nights (link at bottom).

Additionally, Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Longarzo emphasized that teachers are able to do more hands-on learning and delve deeper during block periods, which is completely true. Not only that, but students with art, cooking, or shop class will have a longer amount of time to work, rather than rushing to clean up after just half an hour of working. But here’s the problem: 5th period will never experience any of these benefits. So what if you have your difficult math class or your art class 5th period? With our current schedule, you would experience the benefits of a block period once a week (the same as the rest of your classes), but with the new schedule, you would completely miss the extra time for hands-on learning and delving deep into information. 

Many students who dislike the new schedule continually reference the difficulty paying attention in a class that lasts nearly two hours. In fact, many students experience ADHD and struggle to sit through one class for so long. While the administration has said that teachers will not lecture the whole block and implement more movement, breaks, and hands-on activities, it will be very hard to enforce this. Although teachers have yearly reviews, administration cannot check in on every lesson by every teacher every day. With our current modified block schedule, especially in AP classes, teachers often have to lecture for the majority of the period to cover all the necessary information. And let’s be real, one block day of Calculus tires my brain out enough as it is. 

Dr. Reynolds cites our current modified block schedule as the source of lots of students stress. While it can be a small sigh of relief not to have a class you despise one day a week, you still end up doing the same amount of work and spending the same amount of time in that class. Avoidance is never the solution. Personally, I would argue that my stress, along with the stress of my friends and immediate peers, is a result of the immense pressure our administration pushes on academics, mainly AP classes. While some of us are intrinsically competitive, taking four, five, or six (ahem, six) APs a year, others do not want to be involved in this rat race, and for good reason. The pressure to succeed at a high level of so many different subjects is overwhelming. What students need is support taking the classes they feel comfortable taking, rather than being pushed to take AP courses that the school profits from. 

Additionally, offering increased mental health support could reduce the burden of stress and mental illness on our student body. Our guidance counselors are already tired and overworked, and they don’t always have time to meet with all the students struggling from mental illness or even just everyday stress. And no, therapy outside school isn’t really affordable for most families. 

Not only are students criticizing the new schedule, teachers and parents are, as well. The administration sent out a survey to all the teachers asking whether they would prefer to stick with our current schedule or change to the four-day-a-week block schedule. Dr. Reynolds did not disclose the results of this survey, saying it was about a 50/50 split between support and dissent. A student-led petition has also circulated social media and amassed more than 850 signatures as of yesterday. Parents, especially those active on the PTSA or SAC, also dislike the new schedule and are unhappy that it was not discussed before the administration decided to implement it.

Although Dr. Reynolds mentioned that this schedule has been in the works for at least two years, they decided to announce it right now, in the midst of a global pandemic, right before AP exams, and after all underclassmen have chosen their classes for next year. 

The administration has criticized those who disagree with the new schedule, saying that we are afraid of change. We have embraced distance learning as best as possible, and we know we will have to embrace lots of change and uncertainty at the beginning of the 20-21 school year. What we need right now is normalcy and consistency. RAMnation does not fear change. We just dislike change for the sake of change. 

Challenge Success Link: https://www.challengesuccess.org/resources/school-resources/space-framework/