Stamford High School will be implementing another major shift in its schedule that is sure to change the way students and teachers experience the school day. Currently, the school operates on an alternating-day block schedule, with students attending three “A” day classes and three “B” day classes every other day for 96 minutes each. An additional “A-B” class meets daily for 48 minutes, providing some sort of consistency, despite the shorter length. Next year’s change would replace this system with a semester-based “Flexible High School Schedule,” where students take four 84-minute “A” classes daily in the first semester and switch to four “B” classes in the second semester. Courses that are currently a semester long will switch to being a quarter long. However, students taking exam- or production-based courses such as AP, IB, journalism, yearbook, band, and pathway classes will follow a slightly different schedule; those courses will continue to occur every other day for the entire year within one period slot. This will also force students to fill the alternate day’s slot with another, similarly structured course, or a study hall (although it should be mentioned that study halls will now be available to students in all grades).
While the proposal aims to ease teacher workloads by reducing the number of classes and students they manage per semester, it has sparked concerns across the school community, particularly regarding its potential impact on testing and academic continuity. Under the new schedule, students would focus on four classes each semester, completing coursework within half the school year. Supporters argue this structure allows for deeper learning and focus, along with better retention of information due to stronger consistency. It’s important to note that the implementation of this new schedule means there have been four different schedules in five years (counting next) at the high school level.
Besides possible student backlash, teachers act as an important variable in this decision. Not all of them will be treated equally – English and history teachers will be teaching fewer classes per semester in comparison to all other teachers. There will be no stipend for teachers who involuntarily have a higher workload. With all that being said, Nov. 16, 2024, 92% of the vote of Stamford Public Schools (SPS) teachers at the high school level was in favor of ratifying their contract agreement (which involved the passing of the new schedule). These results reflect an incredible preference toward implementing a new schedule, despite the workload disparities. Jumping forward to Nov. 26, 2024, this change has been confirmed by the Board of Education. In simple terms, we’re getting a new schedule next year.
History teacher Jonathan Puhl recognizes potential advantages, saying “I would see all the same kids every day, and it gets rid of the short last period–that’s really made things difficult after learning how to teach for a block length class. It’s less classes for the semester, so I can focus more on those classes”.
Associate Superintendent of High Schools Dr. Lori Rhodes added, “In this model, when [classes] are semesterised…teachers mostly will have three classes a day, and they have one of the class periods off…That is what we call ‘planning time’ or ‘unassigned time’. And so they have that every single day, 84 minutes, and then they have three classes of kids…They will only have somewhere between 70-90 [students]. That’s a lot less [than the numbers with the current schedule], so I think that’s a benefit for teachers, but I also think that’s a benefit for students. Your teacher doesn’t have as many papers to grade, doesn’t have as many names of kids to know…and can build deeper relationships.”
Proponents of the new semester-based block schedule also point out how it allows for the integration of more academic opportunities. By giving students an eighth period again, district leaders are opening up more time for students to take other, non-academic classes on topics they are interested in. Rhodes stated, “Our high schools have programs of studies that rival a small liberal arts college.…I think it’s wonderful for kids to have experiences….not just before their post-secondary options, but to actually think about their post-secondary options….You can have a flashy name of ‘I want to be an engineer because I hear that’s a good profession,’ but if you don’t take an engineering class in high school because it’s not offered, that’s going to really hurt your opportunity to learn what engineering actually is.” To go along with this, SPS plans on expanding the career “pathways” available at each school, with the hopes of also introducing new ones. Adding internships and apprenticeships to these pathways that students can complete during school hours is another opportunity for students to get an idea of what they may want to pursue post-secondary.
Additionally, having an eighth period in the schedule again provides the option for students to seek out academic support. Since classes will be daily (uninterrupted) and will be able to dive deeper into topics, they may get more rigorous. But tutoring and other forms of assistance will be offered during the school day to ensure students are understanding material and keeping up with classwork.
Despite these benefits, feedback from students has been largely critical. One student voiced concerns about the pace of the semester system: “I won’t have an extra day to do my homework, and I’m also concerned about managing fast-moving classes with sports,” said junior Rebecca Bear. Junior Gabriella Capuno had similar thoughts, stating that “It’ll be really difficult for me to manage studying for a full year’s worth of tests in just one semester.”
As made evident, the proposed schedule poses some unique challenges. Teachers will need to adjust pacing to ensure students are adequately prepared within the compressed timeframe. According to Rhodes, professionals will be brought in to provide training and prepare teachers and staff for the new format. She said that SPS has “put out what’s called an RFP, which is a Request for Proposals, and we’re going to bring in professional schedulers” who will work with the current high school schedulers (at SHS this is Matthew Moynihan), “and they will work closely with our Chief Academic Officer (Amy Beldotti), her team, and myself.” Rhodes also noted that course requests will be opened early this year in anticipation of necessary adjustments.
However, the people who aren’t being trained are the students. Beyond academics, the proposed schedule could affect extracurricular activities and student well-being. Managing homework for four intensive daily classes has the potential to limit participation in sports, clubs, and other activities. Additionally, switching between semesters may feel abrupt, as students transition from one set of classes to a completely new set. Some students may also be following completely separate schedules from their friends because they are taking classes that still alternate daily.
As Stamford High School gears up to implement the new format, students are scrambling to cope with yet another schedule change. While the proposed system could bring more focus, the concerns about academic pressure, teacher equity, and extracurricular impacts highlight the complexities of such a change. Very few decisions can be made unanimously, and this situation is no different–it’s up to students and teachers to adapt and grasp onto the positives of the “Flexible High School Schedule.”
