Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 8, 1995 TAG: 9503080121
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Ending his presentation to the School Board Tuesday night amid cheers and applause, Christiansburg senior Matthew Lucas urged the board not to make ``the remedy worse than the disease.''
Block scheduling at Christiansburg High School would change seven-period, 45-minute classes that last all year to four-period, 90-minute classes that last one semester.
School administrators say block scheduling would improve the quality of class time and offer students a chance to take eight classes a year instead of seven.
But students and parents question whether the format would work.
``To keep the interest of students for an hour and a half, teachers will have to be creative and imaginative and inventive,'' said parent Chuck Nelson. ``To be creative and imaginative may not cost that much, but to be inventive, that will cost a lot. Are you going to write a blank check to cover the cost?''
Other parents said they could not support block scheduling because they were not given enough information on the program. They admonished the board for not sharing the information sooner.
``We don't know the particulars,'' Janet Smith said. ``There are too many unanswered questions. ... If this plan or any other will work, it needs more research.''
Parent Kathy Hollandsworth agreed.
``There hasn't been anything,'' she said outside the meeting. ``There was a presentation to the CHS [Parent-Teacher-Student Association] that was incredibly one-sided. Not a single disadvantage was given.''
The fact that the School Board had planned to discuss and approve the block schedule plan at Tuesday night's meeting raised the ire of one parent.
``They thought they were going to quietly put it through, but there's not enough data,'' Norma Nelson said.
Instead, the board put off making a decision and will meet Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the School Board office to discuss scheduling and hear from the public.
``We do have a process, and we did try to circumvent it,'' board member Annette Perkins said. ``But that's not it. The issue is, we need to understand exactly what the ramifications are of the [block] schedule.''
The block scheduling issue isn't new to Montgomery County. It came up two years ago, and the School Board put it off.
Students, particularly those involved in band or chorus, are opposed to the block schedule plan, also called four-by-four scheduling.
``It'll be hard to take band and chorus in one semester, because it will take away from other classes,'' Lucas said.
Under the seven-period plan, students can take both band and chorus at the same time. With four-by-four scheduling, a student would not be allowed to take both classes in the same semester.
Shawsville High and Middle School approved block scheduling, but no parents from that area spoke out on the issue.
by CNB