The more than 50 Sobrato parents and future high school parents
who met in the school’s newly opened library with school staff
Wednesday evening learned details of the proposed modified block
scheduling plan and raised valid concerns about the proposal.
The more than 50 Sobrato parents and future high school parents who met in the school’s newly opened library with school staff Wednesday evening learned details of the proposed modified block scheduling plan and raised valid concerns about the proposal.
The forum, organized by Sobrato’s staff and Principal Rich Knapp, was meant to be, according to staff members, an opportunity to find out more about the research the staff has been gathering since November and to bring forward questions and concerns.
Sobrato currently has a traditional schedule, with early dismissal on Wednesdays in order to offer an advisory period. The proposed modified block would give students a first or last period “tutorial,” which would allow students to take advantage of teacher “office hours,” similar to arrangements college professors have with their students.
The college similarity doesn’t end there: Sobrato students on a modified block schedule would have three classes on one day, three different classes the next day. Sobrato students would have one class three times one week, two times the next. Questions and concerns about the tutorials were a major topic of discussion during the workshop.
Also, under the proposed schedule, except for the first period, which would remain 55 minutes, the rest of the periods would be 95 minutes.
School Board President Shellé Thomas, who attended Wednesday’s forum, along with Trustees Don Moody, Peter Mandel and Kathy Sullivan, said Thursday she thought the forum was a positive experience.
“I was very glad to see the number of interested and concerned parents who turned out for the forum,” Thomas said. “The staff had prepared a survey for parents to complete after the forum, not only to rate the presentation but also as an opportunity to voice their questions and concerns about the proposed schedule.
“I think that this, along with the question-and-answer period following the informative presentation, gave parents the opportunity to begin to understand how their students’ education would be affected by this type of change.”
Thomas had expressed concerns during the Sobrato staff’s presentation on the proposed change to the board during its regular meeting April 25. She told Knapp and his staff that the board needed more information about how the new schedule would be implemented.
Comments from five of the seven trustees were clearly in favor of waiting a year to implement the schedule in order to do more research, staff development and to learn the opinions of the new superintendent.
Superintendent Carolyn McKennan’s contract expires June 30, and Alan Nishino, superintendent of the Alameda School District, is expected to be approved as the new superintendent during the board’s meeting Monday.
Moody was the only trustee who spoke during Wednesday’s forum, answering a question from a parent about why the board did not want the staff to implement the block schedule for the 05-06 school year.
Moody told the gathering that there were “members of the board who felt they needed more information (about the proposed schedule) before they could move forward.”
During the April 25 meeting, Moody had expressed his disappointment with the board members who did not want to move forward for next year: Thomas, Mandel, Mike Hickey, Amina Khemici and Julia Hover-Smoot. Sullivan also expressed her support for the change during the April 25 meeting. During Wednesdays forum, she said Friday, she sat with two parents “who were obviously not in favor of” the change, but felt that the forum was a good opportunity for parents, whether they were for or against the change, to learn more and to “make their voices heard.”
Knapp told parents Wednesday night the staff had met and discussed block scheduling as a possibility even before they were officially the Sobrato staff.
“We started one year and four months ago,” he said. “We were not really a staff then, just a group interested in possibly coming together. “
Knapp said the block schedule discussion centered around “teaching and learning, not changing the schedule for the sake of change.”
Parents raised concerns about the extended class times, wondering how students would focus for 95 minutes. Sobrato staff explained that the 95 minutes would not be spent in lecture time, but that staff would incorporate different teaching strategies. Teachers also told parents the extra time would allow for more in-depth study.
Sullivan, who is a special education advocate, said she is not worried about longer classes.
“If you told me that the teachers were going to lecture for 95 minutes, I’d have a big problem with it, for special ed students or for any student,” she said Friday. “But special ed teachers don’t teach that way anyway, they break into small groups, they use different techniques.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@mo*************.com or phoning (408) 779-4106, ext. 202
