Why the new schedule causes more harm than good

The Glenbard District 87 School Board has approved a new schedule to be implemented over the next two school years. By when the 2024-2025 school year begins, there are four to memorize. PLC will be on Tuesdays instead of Mondays and each day there will be a Glenbard Hour or a study hall. Classes are much longer, 90 minutes, with teachers having more time to teach. However, this schedule will harm students because it will cause more stress on them. 

 

Instead of having one schedule, there will be four to memorize. This will cause a burden on students since everyone would have to follow a different schedule each day. Having a fixed schedule helps students since there is a set routine for them to follow. Four different schedules to memorize is too much for them since students already have a lot going on. The classes are also way too long. In the regular schedule, classes are 48 minutes long but now, they are 90 minutes long. Having a longer class would make students less focused and engaged in class. For example, in a student’s least favorite class, they would not be engaged and be paying attention. Instead, they would be waiting for the class to be over. There are many students that have a hard time focusing on the regular 48 minute class period and increasing it to 90 minutes would make it harder for them. The Glenbard Hour will give students time to get help or get stuff done. However, it would be a waste of time. In our regular schedules, there are many opportunities and sources to go get help. Having 40 minutes of Glenbard Hour would not be a good use of time and instead, it could be used to teach and learn. If a student ever needs a study hall, they can go to their consular to get a study hall. In those 40 minutes, students could be in class and learning instead. 

 

As an alternative, it would be better to keep the regular schedule that is already implemented.  Another way could be to at least go forward with next years’ schedule which is 40 minutes of study hall on Mondays and Fridays, and has the regular 48-minute class time most of the week. These options are better than the 2024-2025 class schedule, since the regular schedule is more manageable.