Late Agreement Saves Westlake High School Block Scheduling
An eleventh hour agreement between Mount Pleasant School District officials and the teachers union has preserved the introduction of block scheduling at Westlake High School when the new academic year begins next Monday.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Guiney initially said at the Aug. 28 board of education meeting that block scheduling for the upcoming school year would be called off because the union threatened legal action, claiming the arrangement would violate the teachers’ contract.
However, after the contentious one-hour public discussion, district officials announced the following day that the union had come to an agreement to save the new scheduling after closed door talks.
Mount Pleasant Teachers Association President Ellen Igo said after listening to criticisms from parents and school officials at last Wednesday night’s meeting, the union agreed to have three of its members meet with three trustees to hammer out a compromise.
The Westlake High School day has consisted of nine 40-minute class periods. Under the new scheduling format, most courses will have 80-minute blocks but would alternate days. School officials have contended that advantages include improving students’ preparation for college and being better able to meet new state standards.
However, the union contract prevents its members from teaching for more than 120 consecutive minutes. Under the original block schedule proposed for the upcoming year, there would be 17 teachers who would teach back-to-back 80-minute blocks, Guiney said.
She said teachers have the option to sign letters that would permit them to teach more than 120 minutes, a move that has occurred in the past for certain low-enrollment electives.
At last week’s meeting, Igo said the union would consider moving forward if it received consent from a majority of teachers districtwide, not just at the high school. She also mentioned that she wanted district officials to have meetings with union representatives and have the full union vote on block scheduling,
But after board and union reps met, Igo said she was satisfied with what transpired.
“It’s only for a one-year trial,” Igo said.
Under the revised arrangement, which will be reviewed following the 2013-14 school year, high school teachers who exceed the two-hour teaching limit will not have to participate in administrative duties such as monitoring study halls and lunch, Igo said.
Guiney said several meetings with teachers, administrators, parents and students have been held since 2010 regarding the implementation of block scheduling. High school’s teachers had endorsed the concept, she said. The superintendent also mentioned the district was willing to hire part-time teachers to offer faculty more breaks.
Though Guiney said the block scheduling concept has been under discussion for three years with considerable input from teachers, Igo maintained that the administration should have met with union membership earlier.
“We’ve done that,” Guiney retorted at one point. “We’ve been doing that for three years.”
Some parents who spoke at last week’s board meeting said they were concerned about the impact on students if block scheduling would have been abruptly scuttled.
“I feel like our children are being used as a bargaining chip,” parent Kelly Epstein said.
