On October 30th, the Glendale Unified School District decided to have six periods instead of seven, having only one elective instead of two. This might come as a shock to many students, because for most students, electives are their favorite classes. However, some people, who saw the email, heard rumors, or just concluded that this would happen, were not surprised.
This turn of events affects everyone in the Glendale Unified School District, from students to teachers. For people who take language classes like Korean or Japanese or orchestra, they’ll have to choose between electives.
Teachers would also have to change their lesson plan to make room for schedule. When interviewed, Ms. Stein tells me her reaction. “I wasn’t surprised because I knew we would lose the funding.” If you are wondering what she means, the funding for the electives was funded by the COVID-19 pandemic funds, so it makes sense that those emergency funds would run out.
When questioned and told about the upcoming school year, Elliot Devin said,” Why would we have to choose between our electives? Can’t the school come up with a better solution? We’re already paying so much! Where is the money going?”.
Roosevelt Middle School and Clark Magnet High School, get to keep their seven period schedule because they had it before the additional funds were provided.
One decision the schools still have to make is whether they should keep their block schedule or switch the schedule so students see their teachers every day. Student opinions on this subject take different sides and bring new reasoning to support their claims.
The altered block schedule with one less period, would be seeing two different sets of classes every other day except Wednesday. The alternative option would include seeing your teachers every day, just shorter classes.
Students who wanted the first option came up with many interesting arguments and brought up a new side to this. Students explain that if you had a bad first period teacher next year, then it doesn’t matter because you don’t have to see them every day. Students also explain that the other schedule would include more walking to other classes than actual class time.
Students who argue that the second option would be best say that the teachers would not be that strict and give them daily homework. Also, students argue that this alternative option would be better because students don’t have to sit in class as long.
However, it is also possible that Rosemont comes up with a new, alternative solution that solves the other two schedules’ problems. Students at Rosemont, especially seventh graders, eagerly await this decision.
