Parents outraged over Albemarle school schedule

A flock of parents and students ripped apart the Albemarle school division’s new class schedule on Thursday, arguing the change has students overwhelmed and exhausted.

They also argued students have become overburdened with homework, aren’t given enough time between semester classes to absorb information and will struggle to retain information long-term.

About three-dozen critics, mostly parents, attended Thursday’s School Board meeting. Many addressed the School Board during the public comments period.

“I see no clear or overwhelming justification for continuing this experiment that has been tried and abandoned by other [school divisions],” said Mark Echelberger, a parent of students at Albemarle High School.  “I fear members of the board, and particularly staff, feel like that ship has already sailed.”

Echelberger added that many of the parents and teachers have been left ashore.

Kaitlyn Miller, a sophomore at Albemarle High School, said that the schedule change has forced a reduction in the amount of literature students are asked to read in English class.

Meanwhile, with some classes meeting every day, some students stay up late to finish their homework, while others are waking up as early as 5 a.m. to finish before school, Miller said.

Speakers called for a meeting with School Board members at which the board members and class schedule critics are able to have a dialogue.

The School Board agreed, and Superintendent Pamela Moran said that administrators would propose a structure for the meeting.

Fred Smyth is a faculty member at the University of Virginia who says much of his research has to do with the causes of academic achievement gaps, particularly in math and science. He said he believes the new class structure is “going to exacerbate achievement gaps.”

Smyth, who has a daughter at Albemarle High School, said that she is studying math and English this semester but likely will not take subsequent math and English courses until next school year.

That gap in classes, some parents and students contended, will make it difficult for students to retain information.

Under the new eight-period hybrid schedule, students take up to eight classes yearly, instead of seven.

The previous system had students taking classes on a yearlong basis, but only attending the same class about once every two days. Under the new system, many classes now meet daily, for a semester. Some classes, however, continue to meet on an alternating basis for a full year.

The move has teachers instructing more classes each year, though fewer at a given time, which students said has caused teachers additional stress.

The School Board decided to change the class schedule late in last year’s budget cycle process, which outraged many parents who didn’t know the change was coming before the School Board approved it.

At the time, school officials said the change would save more than $800,000 per year.