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KHS schedule change may be postponed

By on October 29, 2010

Officials consider waiting another year for 8-period days
by David Maas
KANELAND—Kaneland School District officials have set a plan in motion which, if carried out, will push the change to an eight-block schedule at Kaneland High School to the 2012-13 school year.

District officials recently announced their plan to change the KHS school day to eight periods from the current four-block schedule, starting in 2011-12. However, after surveying the sophomore and junior classes, the administration determined that the scheduling change would adversely affect the four-year plans of 10 to 15 percent of students.

“That’s too big of a number to negate,” said Dr. Greg Fantozzi, interim principle at KHS, during Monday’s School Board meeting. “The extension will provide greater communication with parents to make decisions on accomplishing a student’s four-year plan.”

The School Board did not make any decision on postponing the scheduling change Monday, but discussion took place on both sides of the issue.

Board member Deborah Grant questioned whether waiting a year until the number of students affected would decrease was the right decision, but also saw the importance of a delay.

“There is a want for the extension so we can deliver the best possible product at the end,” Grant said.

The extension would not postpone the district’s planning process for the change to the eight-block schedule, district officials said.

“We’re not going to be sitting on our hands for the next year,” Fantozzi said.

District officials said they would use the extra time to ensure that KHS counsels all students to prepare them for the change.

“If we do this wrong, that’s a year of their education they’ll never get back,” board member Lisa Wiet said.

Kaneland Superintendent Jeff Schuler said in a letter to the board that how the district implements and utilizes the schedule will be the most important factor in supporting student learning.

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  • RM

    Someone will be adversely affected regardless although it’s hard to believe it would make that much difference. I haven’t been a fan of the block schedule. It would be useful for science classes with labs but most classes don’t benefit because the extra time is squandered. The point is to teach more intensely and learn the material better. That hasn’t been happening and teachers freely admit they can’t teach or hold students’ attention for the whole block.

    Students who complained earlier about the change were complaining about the prospect of more homework which would interfere with their sports and practices. Clearly they don’t understand the real purpose of an education. I did 4-6 hours of homework every night. I have 3 college degrees and make a great living doing something I enjoy. I don’t know that my kids will have that opportunity given the skewed learning process of block scheduling and the current condition of the economy.