Administrators adjust schedule in response to concerns
REGION 16 — Flex time will be reinstated at Long River Middle School after parents spoke out on how a schedule change had impacted their children.
Region 16 Superintendent of Schools Michael Yamin announced last week that after some minor adjustments to the schedule a 20-minute flex period will be added back in at the end of the day for seventh- and eighth-graders. The change is expected to be implemented by the time students return from winter break, he said.
There will be no change to the schedule for sixth-grade students, Yamin said.
A new schedule was implemented at the middle school, which serves students from Beacon Falls and Prospect, this school year in order to make room for new reading and math programs and to allow more students to take a world language.
An eighth period was added to the school day under the new schedule. To create the eighth period the 30-minute flex period that used to be at the end day was removed and minutes were shaved off of other periods.
All sixth-graders currently receive a 45-mintue study hall as do about 125 seventh- and eighth-graders that do not take a world language.
Once the change goes into effect, seventh- and eighth-graders that have flex time and a study hall will be given the option to study a foreign language with Rosetta Stone in study hall.
However, most students in seventh and eighth grades now have a full course load without the benefit of a flex period or a structured study hall.
About three dozen parents aired concerns about the change at a forum in October saying their children used the flex period in many ways, including working on their homework and getting extra help from teachers. Without the flex period, they said, their students are becoming overburdened.
Since then administrators had been looking at ways to address the issue. One proposal would have meant an overhaul of the schedule to fit the flex time in and the hiring of a consultant to redo the schedule.
Under the plan officials are moving forward with a student’s schedule of classes will remain the same. Yamin said administrators took 10 minutes from the unified arts block, 3 minutes from homeroom, 5 minutes from homeroom time towards the end of the day and a minute each from two periods after lunch to get the 20 minutes for flex time.
School board chair Donna Cullen said the plan addresses the concerns without having to create a whole new schedule this year.
“This can happen soon and it also addresses the concerns that parents brought forward at the forum,” Cullen said.
The loss of flex time wasn’t the only issue raised at the forum.
Parents also complained that their children are getting more homework than they can handle and that they weren’t adequately notified about the change.
The board recommends 10 minutes per grade level of homework a night, but parents say their children are getting several hours of homework each day. Parents added that they learned about the schedule change at orientation about two weeks before school started this year.
Yamin said administrators will reinforce the school board’s recommendations on homework and a letter on the new schedule change will be sent to parents well in advance.
As for next school year, Yamin said, a focus group has been put together to evaluate the schedule and make recommendations for next year.
“This compromise will address the immediate concerns of the parents, support an increase in reading for all students and allow us the time to study the best educational program for our students,” Yamin said.
I am very happy that the BOE decided to do what’s best for the KIDS of LRMS! I am also very happy to hear there will be a focus group going forward. This plan is just a band-aid. LRMS needs to seek input from parents, teachers and students on significant school related issues.