Since the arrival of Covid-19, the school systems in Louisiana have been hard at work ensuring students and faculty stay safe and healthy. As we look ahead, it is our utmost priority to address unfinished learning from the 2019-2020 school season. The Louisiana Department of Education has enacted the Strong Start 2020 plan to create a foundation for continuous learning in 2020-2021.
In order to adhere to the requirements set in place by the state, we as a district, are working diligently to finalize a solid plan for what the upcoming school year will look like. If a traditional start is not advisable by the state, we will be proposing a hybrid schedule for the 2020-2021 school season. Because Phase 2 only allows for 50% capacity in classrooms, we have decided the safest solution would be to split the school population in half.
NPSB school officials are asking the community to offer input on the new hybrid schedule for the 2020-2021 school season. We are encouraging parents, teachers, faculty and community members to fill out the survey below in order to help us gain insight to what would be the best choice if Natchitoches Schools went to a modified schedule in August. The survey is not a final vote on plans for the next school year and will only be used as a gauge to see what parents and students would be most comfortable with.
We will be accepting responses for the next few weeks. We are committed to the safety and success of our students and appreciate the support and participation of all parents, students, teachers and staff.
Please take the Survey – NPSB needs your input!
2020-2021 Hybrid School Schedule Survey
I taught in a school that went on 2 secessions a day. One shift was from 6 to 12 and the other was from 12 to 6. As a teacher, I had no problems. It was the students who had problems. During the first shift they were too sleepy to get much done. During the 2nd shift they were too tired at the end of the day. Also, the parents had problems with child care. Crime by teenagers went through the roof. I have no answers. I just know there is a lot to be considered before any decisions are made.
Why is Natchitoches Magnet School not a part of this survey?
In the 1970s, West Jefferson Parish High School had the same problem: Overcrowding because there weren’t enough schools. The solution was to have a morning shift of students who left for the day at lunchtime and an afternoon shift that came after the morning shift left. My late husband talked about what it was like. With time for only 4 classes per day, maybe students could devote more time to doing assignments. The current block schedule only allows students to attend 5 classes per day, and other than the fact that block classes are an hour and a half, I don’t see how going to morning and afternoon shifts would rob kids of much instructional time.
Of course, students would probably only take the basics and not electives, unless an elective is vital to graduation. I think most of us can agree that the basics are math, science, history/social studies/civics, and English. The next school year is going to be a huge opportunity to decide what students really need to learn from Kindergarten to 12th grade. Parents who work will have their lives turned upside down, just like they did when we closed all the schools this spring.
So many good things can come out of change. It’s hard, and we don’t usually want to do it. But this health crisis is a much-needed wake up call for school policy makers. Louisiana lags behind other states in technology. Providing educational technology for every student should be one of the goals of parish school boards, but it’s going to take hard work from our state-level educational agencies, too.
Weren’t we promised “No Student Left Behind?” It’s time we demand this promise be fulfilled.