Once again, Middletown schools are digging themselves into a deeper hole. Instead of trying to promote healing in an already ravaged district, certain administrators want to plunge the elementary schools into chaos by implementing a six-day rotational schedule for the special subjects of art, music, computers, physical education, health and newly added Spanish.
Here is an example of how this type of scheduling will work. Say a child has the following schedule on week one: Monday-art, Tuesday-music, Wednes-day-computers, Thursday-physical education, and Friday-health, and the following Monday-Spanish. During the next week, the schedule will continue as follows: Tuesday-art, Wednesday-music, Thursday-computers, Friday-physical education, and the following Monday-health, and Tuesday-Spanish. The subjects will rotate every six days so students will have different special subjects on different days.
This is bound to cause confusion for elementary students who need a stable routine. Can you image how a child is supposed to remembers his sneakers on gym day when gym day changes every week? What if a test is scheduled for health the following week? The poor child is going to have to factor in the day of the next health class while preparing for the test. Some schools have chorus and band in the morning before school begins. Could you remember to come to chorus and band when it meets on a different day every week? Plans are in the works to include instrumental music in this six-day schedule.
How many of you would remember to bring your instrument when your lesson day changes weekly?
A predictable daily routine is vital to many special education students. Weekly changes are bound to upset them. Many students participate in before-school news broadcasts headed by the computer teacher. This will be difficult to schedule when the computer teacher is in the school different days of every week. As a parent and a student, my head would surely be spinning! Then, think of the poor teachers who have to make sure they are in the right school on the right day.
Speaking of teachers, this plan also involves massive personnel changes. Fine teachers who have been in the same school for years are going to be shifted unnecessarily to new schools. Teachers who have developed programs and purchased materials geared to their old schools will have to start all over in their new schools. All those close relationships that have been carefully cultivated through the years with the staff and students will suddenly be severed. This is going to break many a child’s heart!
If you think this plan is as crazy as I do, please call the Middletown Board of Education, your school superintendent and your administrators now. We cannot afford more chaos in the Middletown schools.
Roberta A. Kilduff is a resident of Middletown