With a week and a half until a vote for a calendar for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school year, the Palo Alto’s Board of Education, faculty, and students are still in disagreement.
Earlier this week, the board further discussed two potential calendars for the first time. Board members had opposing views on which calendar is better for the educational community. Calendar A puts finals before winter break, starts school in mid-August, and ends school in the first week of June. Calendar B would make finals after winter break, starts school in end of August, and ends school in the second week of June.
Departments with year-long courses, such as mathematics, favor Calendar A, while those with semester classes favor Calendar B, according to Assistant Superintendent Scott Bowers.
"There was a vote in the Student Council meeting [at Palo Alto High School] and it was almost unanimous." said Peter Lo, Paly’s student representative to the board. "Only two opposed Calendar B."
According to Gunn High School junior Molly Kawahata, Gunn elected student officials favored Calendar B by 62%, while only 38% favored Calendar A.
A major difference between the calendars is whether finals are before or after winter break. Finals before winter break would give seniors and teachers writing college recommendations too much work because a majority of college applications are due at the same time finals would be, according to Kaye Paugh, Paly teacher-advisor and English teacher.
"Compound this important task [college reccomendations] with trying to end a semester at or around Dec. 15 when many college and universitiy applications are due and administer finals to students who are also trying to complete applications, and we have quadrupled the stress level for everyone," Paugh said.
Nevertheless, finals after winter break will cause teachers to teach same material both before and after the break, and will not give students a complete break from work, according to board member, Dana Tom.
At Gunn, 150-200 students were polled, and a majority preferred finals before winter break, while 81% of Gunn elected officials wanted finals after winter break, according to Kawahata.
Many private high schools as well as non-unified high school districts start early and have finals before winter break, according to Bowers.
"I’ve heard that some of the schools that switched to early finals would never go back and I haven’t heard of any that switched back," Tom said.
Board members Mandy Lowell and Camille Townsend favor Calendar B. Board Members Dana Tom as well as Gail Price favor Calendar A. Board member Barb Mitchell, suggested a test drive of each calendar to see what works best, or even to create a new calendar altogether.
"What technical ideas are important, compatible and could be morphed into a version C?" Mitchell asked.
According to Mitchell, future tests, discussions, and input are needed to find a calendar that will not need constant changing.
"The decision on when to hold finals should receive a thorough venting, and then given to future calendar committees as a parameter, rather than a decision for the calendar committee itself to make," board president, Lowell, said.
Another factor in discussion is stress on students. According to a "Stressed out Students" survey given to Paly students in 2005 and 2006, 49% of students say they have too much stress, 42% are self-stressed, and 63% always or frequently are stressed with respect to too much homework.
"You feel guilty if you don’t study during [winter] break [if finals are after]," Kawahata said.
Gunn students will be more relaxed after winter break if they have already taken their finals, according to Kawahata.
"A goal is to have a stress-free break," Tom said.
Last year the World Languages Department administered finals prior to winter break, and according to Lowell students liked not having all their all finals at once.
But for elementary schools, having a full week or a four-day week is a big issue, according to Tom. For kindergarteners as well as first graders, starting with a five-day week, is difficult. Having elementary school start a few days after the middle and high schools may be considered.
All participants in the decision agreed eliminate ski week. Teachers believe that momentum is lost with the extra week in February, , students felt it was not relaxing, and some parents found it difficult to get child care, according to Townsend.
"I’m happy to see ski week removed," Price said.
A vote for a calendar will take place at the next School Board meeting, Nov. 28 at 25 Churchill Avenue.