Don’t advocate vociferously at your peril. That’s what parents at the Humanities and Communication Arts Magnet at Eastern Middle School are learning, belatedly.
On February 10 parents were advised that a decision had been made to move the school from an 8-period block schedule, to 7 periods. Eastern had been one of the few middle schools still on an 8-period schedule (notably, the Math/Science/Computer Science middle school remains one of them). Upon learning the news the PTA requested a meeting with appropriate MCPS officials to discuss the negotiations and decision, and that meeting is taking place tonight at 6:30 p.m. for one hour with Dr. Heath Morrison, Community Superintendent, and Mr. Marty Creel, Director of the Division of Enriched and Accelerated Instruction in attendance.
The scheduling change is important for the magnet program because the magnet includes an “extra” required class, media, during all three years (Sixth graders are also required to take reading). With an 8-period block schedule, 7th and 8th grade magnet students can still take the required classes, a foreign language and an additional elective. By moving to 7 periods, a period–and an elective–are lost.
The implications are significant for arts programming at the school, with students potentially having to give up playing an instrument in a band if they still want to, say, apply to an IB program, which requires the equivalent of a year of high school foreign language study. Some have suggested that students will have to pursue music instruction outside of school, something many parents simply cannot afford. And no, the PTA shouldn’t have to step in and offer afterschool enrichment opportunities. Aside from the time issue (some students ride the bus for 45 minutes or more), this should be the school system’s responsibility.
Another impact of a 7-period schedule is significantly shorter class periods. Longer periods allow teachers to go more into depth during each class session and allow for lots of group and student collaboration, one of the hallmarks of the magnet curriculum. Naturally the schedule change impacts the wider school community too, cutting the opportunity for academic support classes for those students who are struggling and potentially diminishing the elective offerings for the rest.
It’s noteworthy that a very comprehensive and inclusive process was conducted just in the previous academic year at Eastern. The outcome of the decision process was a majority vote of the representative committee in charge to keep the 8-period schedule.
However according to teachers’ union rules, teachers can ask for a decision to be revisited. Some of the teachers were not happy with the outcome and asked for the issue to be reopened, feeling that the previous year’s process wasn’t transparent. More importantly, some felt it unfair that they were teaching six classes in an eight period schedule, while teachers at most other schools teach five classes out of seven. This, some argued, was making it hard for the school to recruit teachers.
So this year a completely new committee was convened, including no representatives from the previous year’s process. Also not included: magnet teachers–despite the fact that magnet students comprise roughly 300 of Eastern’s 800 students. Also absent: arts teachers, ESOL teachers, student representatives. And this year’s decision is final and binding for the foreseeable future, according to Larry Bowers (MCPS, Chief Operating Officer) and Stephen Bedford (MCPS Chief Performance Officer).
I hope the parents and students have some pointed questions tonight about the “process”–and the advice they received to hold their fire and let the “process” run its course.
This change is yet another blow to gifted education in the county. And keep in mind, this is one of the vaunted “services” and “gifted programs” that MCPS says it will continue to provide under its revised Policy IOA on gifted education. What is particularly painful is that this is happening to the Humanities and Communication Arts program, an area already so woefully under-supported by MCPS. By weakening the program, even fewer parents will make the choice to apply and send their kids there. Fewer students, increased pressure to simply do away with the program altogether.
What a depressing way to start off the week.
[P.S. they should have started a Facebook protest months ago...]
This is disappointing, especially with the lack of magnet, elective, and student representatives from the new committee. However, I am confused as to how eliminating a period shortens class times. Unless the school day is shorter, doesn’t this mean there is now more time per period?
Here’s some info, Jake:
-In a 7-period day, kids would have 28 minutes in the hallway (switching between all the classes), versus currently they have only 16 minutes of hallway time because they are only switching between four classes.
-In a 7 period schedule, the kids would have 347 curriculum minutes per week, and in an 8-period block schedule, they get 359 curriculum minutes.
I see your point. I don’t know the details of the situation and didn’t know that they would be switching from block scheduling to having all 7 periods in a day. My middle school had 4, maybe 5, blocks in a day and 7 periods (it was a strange setup but reduced travel time per day compared to having all 7 periods everyday).
So, they have 4 classes one day and the other 4 classes the other day? A/B/A/B forever?
A bit challenging to remember *which* four classes you are having today, and bring the right folder/books/homework for each. Perhaps harder to send the children around for math at the high schools in eighth grade.
But the advantage of longer class periods on the same subject is pretty clear for working on projects, staying engaged in the same task, and doing lab work in the sciences. I would say the advantages are with the 8-period schedule.
Wow — we have trouble getting a *sixth* period funded here. Basically you have to choose between art and music, and if you take both music and a foreign language, or both art and a foreign language (as most serious students do), it gets difficult to fit your gym and health credits in.
It’s been suggested that they drop PE, as many kids already participate in sports teams outside of school. But of course that’s not really possible: PE is mandated by state law. Taking a foreign language or some kind of art isn’t. Kinda crazy, when you think about it.
Here the public middle school offers history, English, science, math, PE, and one elective (foreign language, drama, shop, …). Electives can be changed each semester.
The private school we go to has one more period, but there are no electives for middle school, so the other two periods are foreign language and art/music (one semester each of 2D art, music, 3D art, and drama in 7th and 8th grades).
[...] their “services” and “programs?” (Oh that’s right…they’re hanging in the balance or else have already fallen by the wayside.) Additional thoughts: the MSA is a grade-level [...]
I am a student at this school, and would just like to voice how awful a change this is for us.
At a magnet school like Eastern, many students strive to continue on to a High School with an advanced program. In our area, one of these schools is named Richard Montgomery. This school requires at least one year of foreign language to have already been taken by the student in middle school in order for that student to apply. So, many humanities students at Eastern take a foreign language for at least one year, usually two. In this new setup, students in the program will not be able to take any other electives if they choose to take a foreign language, removing the much needed break in work from their stressful lives.
Also, some students are enrolled in math support classes, and they unfairly would lose their chance to take an elective as a 7th or 8th grade magnet student in a 7 period day simply because they are on a lower math level than others.
I hope this sheds more light on this issue for those of you on this site who aren’t sure of the negative consequences of this change.
As one of the students at Eastern, in 7th grade, I (as well as all my fellow students) am devastated by this change. No one in the magnet wants this and we have tried tirelessly to have the superintendent reconsider, but no one thinks we know what is best for us, of course. We believe that they should be trying to satisfy our needs because we are what keeps the school meeting its Annual Yearly Progress rates and we allow the school to have the extra elective time instead of making this time devoted to Standardized Testing Practice. Our principal even told us in the school’s teacher-run newspaper, “We know that 7 periods work because of all the success in other schools.”
Our reply:
Eastern is NOT JUST another school! We are INDIVIDUAL because of the Magnet Program and we need to consider that and not think of ourselves as a “regular” other school!
Thanks so much to the students who posted! It’s always great to hear from “the source”…voices educational administrators rarely listen to (despite all the talk about students “self advocating.”)
And yes, Student #2…you speak the unspoken truth regarding AYP. Take the magnet student scores out of the mix and, well…
This is a much larger issue than just the magnet. It’s about MCPS’s commitment to GT education and about educational opportunities for down county middle schoolers in particular. Parents and students need to inform themselves about what is going on…and need to let the wider community know what is happening at Eastern. IMO, the needs of verbally gifted kids are not being met.
[...] 30, 2009 by SwitchedOnMom When the decision was announced that Eastern Middle School would be moving from an eight period block schedule to a seven period [...]
[...] and Communication Arts Program from taking an arts elective. (For a refresher on the case, check here here here here here here here and here. Whew!) We have two items to report and a decision to [...]