Lauren Bononi addresses the School Board regarding the proposed 2013 calendar.
– Matthew SlipperControversy continues to surround the proposed 2012 calendar as Palo Alto Unified School District school board members discussed the measure during their regular meeting, Tuesday at the PAUSD offices.
The School Board proposed two different calendars. The first, Option 1, would move the the 2012-2013 school year’s start date back two weeks to either August 15 or 16. Also, Option 1 would keep the semesters of roughly equal length and move finals before winter break. The other, Option 2, would keep the schedule as it is now. Option 1 is favored by the Board and is the measure that was discussed.
The measure was hotly debated, as members of the community submitted more than 45 public opinion cards, or cards requesting permission to speak for two-minute periods, to the board regarding the calendar issue.
Supporters, who wore red to signify their positive view of the schedule, claimed the measure will reduce stress and provide a necessary break for both students and teachers. When students and staff return from Winter break having already had finals, supporters say, they will be rejuvenated and be ready to face the new semester.
“Finals before break are absolutely the best thing to happen to us,” said Sarah McElaney, a parent of three Palo Alto children and a teacher at Mountain View High School. “When finals end before break, it is a true break.”
McElaney’s opinion was echoed by numerous others, including Jordan Huizing, an English teacher at Gunn. Huizing also claimed that having Winter Break fall in the middle of the semester disrupts her curriculum and makes it difficult for students to recall what happened before break.
Work completed after the break is “not [her students’] best work,” Huizing said, citing in particular their study of the book Lord of the Flies. “Students are trying so hard to remember.”
Opponents of the proposed calendar also explained their opinions to the Board. Jane Harris, mother of a PAUSD 10th grader, said that changing the schedule would prohibit summer extracurricular activities such as debate camp. Their main point, however, was that changing the schedule would do nothing to help with student workload and would therefore dodge the root problem of student stress.
“74% of students have stated repeatedly and overwhelmingly that the major sources of stress are homework and projects,” said Lauren Bononi, an opponent of the proposed schedule. “The proposed calendars do nothing whatsoever to address workload … Until there is a true commitment by decision makers to pursue systemic change, shifting the calendar will not reduce student stress.”
The School Board is basing its proposed changes to the calendar on the results of a survey given to staff, parents, and high school students in January 2011. The survey found that a majority of high school students and staff support having first semester end and having finals before winter break.
Teachers also said they favored the new calendar because it kept the semesters roughly the same length. Having semesters of different lengths would “[change] the nature of the courses,” according to Assistant Superintendent Scott Bowers
According to the PAUSD website, the School Board will consider taking action at its May 10 meeting. Until then, the bill remains controversial. As Bowers said, “There is no calendar that will satisfy everybody.”