Reduced class offerings, along with workload and pacing challenges surface in new common schedule.

With the recent schedule change, Advanced Placement (AP) teachers at South face the challenge of reformatting their AP classes to ensure the ability to cover all of the required curriculum before the ever-looming AP tests in May.

For many teachers, AP classes cause stress and anxiety due to the constant pressure to finish certain curriculum and to ensure that students score well on AP tests.

However, the recent schedule change for all high schools in the 4J district has reduced the time spent in each class over the course of the year. Last year, most core classes in classic high school took two trimesters out of the three-trimester year, each taking oneperiod. This year has switched to a semester schedule, which allows students to take one more class – 16 instead of 15 – in a given year, but also reduces class time. In addition, classes only meet three times every week, rather than every day, which allows for less coherence between class periods than the previous schedule did.

South Eugene AP Language and Composition teacher Madison Billings felt that the reduced class time would increase workload for students and teachers alike. With the eight class schedule, teachers now
have to teach six classes per term instead of four, and also have to teach an advisory class every Wednesday. “It feels like my classes are bigger this year, but I think that maybe they just feel bigger, because I’m teaching so many of them,” Billings said. “I see so many students in a week’s time. Including that advisory piece … I do think that the workload for teachers is just going to go up.”

Billings’ sentiment that teacher workload will increase is parallel to her feeling about student workload.

“I’m worried that as we get into January, February, and March, when we realize, as AP teachers, that we’re coming up to a deadline and we’re not near where we need to be,” Billings remarked, “we are going to be defaulting to homework.” Despite the workload, Billings felt that schedule was going to make her more mindful of the time she and students spend on certain activities.

“I now have to be very mindful about the types of practice that I am giving,” Billings explained. “I hope that it is going to be a good change for everyone, this elimination of the busy work, [so] that class feels like it’s important to be there.”

However, Billings’ take on Wednesday’s new schedule was less than positive.

Wednesdays, or C days, which end at 2:30, give students eight regular 30 minute class periods with five minute passing periods as well as a 35 minute advisory period (with a 10-minute passing period afterward) and a 30-minute lunch break. Students with full schedules have to go to nine classes (including advisory), quickly switching from one subject to another. Many teachers have voiced their concerns about projected student engagement and attendance on Wednesday afternoons.

All three of Billings’ AP Language and Composition class periods are in the afternoon, which makes her job especially difficult because she has to keep her students engaged in AP-level material after they have all had long morning classes. And the Wednesday flex is also challenging.

“If they don’t feel like Wednesdays bring value to them,” Billings said, “they will use Wednesdays as a day to not come.”

With the new schedule came the elimination of some AP social studies classes taught by Anna Grace, who is now a College and Career Readiness Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA). AP World History and AP Art History, two popular social studies classes for upperclassmen, were removed from the South curriculum after Grace was put on special assignment. This saw the elimination of history classes that were not focused on the U.S. from South classic curriculum except for the ninth grade required Global Studies course.

“I was very surprised to hear the classes were canceled, and hope to see South restore both classes, and offer new AP/College Now classes as well,” Grace said. “I would love to see AP Human Geography taught at all 4J high schools to interested students as an AP ‘starter class.’ There kids could learn the ropes of challenging coursework in a class where the content is recognizably relevant – understanding the world we live in.”

Grace also voiced concerns about teachers’ ability to undertake new AP classes, saying that most teachers don’t have the time to prepare another whole class and teach it to a standardized test.

“My first year teaching AP Art History, I worked an average of two extra hours a day, so 10- and 11-hour days for first and second trimester,” Grace remembered. “Because my kids were older, and my husband cares for the home and cooks all our meals, I could afford this time. There are a number of teachers at South with young kids, aging parents, and other commitments. ‘Work more’ is not a sustainable plan for teachers.”

Grace also relayed her support for South teachers, and her trust in their ability to get things done in a timely and quality fashion.

“South teachers and students have always risen to this challenge,” Grace said.

The new schedule and reduced AP course offerings may present unprecedented challenges to teachers and students alike, but what’s clear is that the South population will continue to adapt and evolve to these drastic changes and succeed despite the new environment.

Article by Basil Dracobly