SPASH Daily Schedule to Change
by Kristen Deadwyler, City- Times Staff
The daily schedule at SPASH is about to change.
Monday’s school board meeting brought to light topics of time management for teachers, and the idea that many do not have enough time throughout their day for preparation.
The idea of shortening the lunch hour was the popular discussion among students and administrators alike.
The board’s Student Achievement Goal requires the board to “implement an elementary and secondary school schedule that expands teaching/learning opportunities and time, and that embeds research and directed collaboration time for teachers and administrators.”
Concerned teachers, board members, and administrators agree that the current daily schedule at SPASH does not allow for professional development time.
The district moved to find ways to increase teachers professional development time without dropping below the required number of instructional minutes, as set by the state.
During the 2010-2011 school year, the district implemented an Early Release program, resulting in four early days per year, which allowed teachers to use the afternoons for professional development activities.
During the course of this school year, the district replaced it with a Late Start Pilot Program, which allowed for teachers to use the morning hours to use for development, while students started later in the school day.
But the Late Start was considered a flop by many teachers, who said it didn’t produce the hours needed to prepare & perform development activities.
The board and superintendent agreed that a daily schedule change was needed in order to provide the required time.
The schedule change considered requires classes start five minutes later, and lunch periods to be reduced by 11 minutes. It was the shortened lunch periods that caused the greatest concern for SPASH students.
“Lunch lines can take up to 25 minutes,” said Jake Zasada, SPASH Student Senate Representative.
“Some days, it’s a big food item [featured], or a lot of students stay on campus because of bad weather.”
Zasada also noted the lack of seating in the lunch room, and the concern over students’ “enjoyment” of food within the shortened lunchtime.
The board disagreed. Surveying 66 of the largest high schools in Wisconsin, it was revealed the SPASH lunch period was the longest in the state.
Reducing the lunch from 51 to 40 minutes, SPASH’s lunch would still remain well above average.
“We felt 40 minutes would be very reasonable,” said Mike Devine, SPASH principal.
Board member Angel Faxon said she spent two hours watching the typical SPASH lunch period. After surveying students, she approached cooks in the lunch line to inquire their thoughts.
“[The cooks] felt confident it was ‘doable’,” Faxon said.
The board noted that the SPASH administration would work with Student Senate, and students themselves, regarding the reduced lunch time and any concern over open campus policies.
The board approved the schedule change. The district, along with the community, will follow up with the schedule change to see what effects this change will have, and school Superintendent Attila Weninger said he hopes it’s a positive one.
“We desperately need time for our teachers to collaborate and work together,” Superintendent Weninger stated.