Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Public Meeting Held Concerning PHS Block Scheduling

The Prescott School board met in special session at McRae Middle School Monday, February 5, to hear from concerned parents and teachers who do not like block scheduling.

Some fifty parents, teachers and other members of the public met with superintendent Ron Wright and the board. While the brunt of the complaints centered on block scheduling at Prescott High School, concerns were likewise voiced about block scheduling at the middle school.

The first phase of the meeting allowed anyone in attendance to voice his or her concern about block scheduling.

First Presbyterian Church minister Robin Nygaard said from her perspective as a parent of two school children that "learning time is not being filled." Based on her children's reports, too much class time was being used for homework and reading assignments. "The children are not given enough hands on, practical experiences," she said.

Others went further, saying that the children graduating from the school district are unprepared for college, indicating that the problem went further than the concerns with just block scheduling.

Judy Barfield, a district employee and mother of a recent graduate and current student, said her college daughter was "completely and absolutely overwhelmed" at what was expected when she reached college, especially in science.

Barfield expressed problems with the length of time of a block period (90 minutes) as well as the gaps caused in the schedule. She said there was so much time between a child taking a course in the fall of year one and the spring of year two, that the child simply forgot too much material.

Other parents, including district employee Kim Hale, wanted her children to have a full nine months of each subject, especially math and science courses.

Several attendees mentioned the "lack of homework" and no books being brought home.

Karen McLelland felt part of the educational process was for a high school student to have to give up something, and the time a student gave up to do homework was part of the public educational process.

"Over a two-year period my daughter never brought home a book," said Mike Phillips. "The block was never designed to not have homework. The kids are not being trained or taught. These problems are tied to block scheduling. Someone should be accountable. It is a crime," Phillips continued.

High school math teacher and parent Teresa Ragsdale was the lone supporter of the block schedule. She told the crowd that teachers at the high school went through intense training to change their teaching styles prior to the implementation of block scheduling in 1995.

Her teaching style, said Ragsdale, was "hands on" activities that involve the student and not lecture-based. Saying that many high school teachers did not use this style, she said it worked for her and her students. The additional time for the block periods allowed her students to engage in more projects.

Pharmacist Fred Harris voiced his concern that the expanded class times necessary for block scheduling has limited the students' choices of additional class offerings, especially upper level and advanced classes.

Others likewise shared his concern about upper level students not receiving courses needed to prepare them for the requirements of college work. Harris went on to comment that "the students have not been made to apply themselves. They have no study habits; they are not challenged."

When Wright asked for suggestions two were received; one, to give larger blocks of time for students in math; and, two, find creative ways to engage children.

Rev. Nygaard concluded by asking, "What do we see we need, and how do we get there so that everyone buys into it?"

Wright closed the meeting by appointing a committee to study block scheduling with the task of making a recommendation to the board of education at its April meeting.

The committee is to be chaired by Hyacinth Deon, the district's director of supervision and curriculum. Other committee members are high school principal Steve Britton, high school counselor Paula Cossey, parents Robin Nygaard and David Gordon, plus two high school teachers to be selected by Britton.