Seven-period day limits students

To the editor: As a student at Jay County High School, it is my main concern to get the best possible education that I can.

So far in my schooling career, I can confidently say that my education has been exceptional. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything that Jay County has to offer for me.

However, I am concerned about my future education and I am concerned about the choices being made for my future education and others’ education.

One of these choices was picking the seven-period day as our new schedule at Jay County High School. This choice will make such an impact on the students, teachers and parents of Jay County. This is not the best choice for a new schedule with what we were given.

There were two options presented to the school board, the regular seven-period day or the eight-drop-two schedule.

The seven-period is where students take seven classes and an “advisory” period. Each class will meet for 46 minutes and the advisory period will meet for 25 minutes. This is the same schedule every day and most people are used to it.

On the other hand, the eight-drop-two has a different approach to things. You meet with all eight of your classes on Monday, and then the next day you “drop” one class in the morning and one class in the afternoon. Each class is dropped in a four day rotation. All eight classes meet three times Tuesday through Friday, and you meet with a home room at the start of each of those days.

The benefits of the eight-drop-two outweigh the seven-period day despite the eight-drop-two being a very big change for the school corporation, teachers and students. Overall, the eight-drop-two schedule offers more freedom to the students, and this, as a student, is something that I value very much.

The eight-drop-two schedule offers more opportunities for students to take electives. This is something that is very important to students as they are discovering what they want to do in their lives. This schedule offers us more academic freedom as well.

Sure, getting to take fun classes is great and all, but at the end of the day the variety of academic classes that I get to take means more to me than the fun classes.

Unfortunately, the seven-period day doesn’t provide the variety of academic classes.

Right now, with block scheduling, students are allowed to graduate with an associate’s degree. Additionally, students are allowed to take college courses that will reduce the time and money spent at college taking courses that could be taken right here at JCHS. This is amazing, just absolutely mind-boggling.

With the eight-drop-two schedule, there is a chance for students to get eight more credits than with the seven-period day. This may not seem like a lot, but if the students are going from block, which offers around 80, to seven periods, which offers 56, that is a huge difference and getting an additional eight credits from the eight-drop-two makes such a profound difference in the students' high school career.

Many students, including me, want to get as much done academically as they possibly can, and making this choice for the seven-period day is ruining that beautiful opportunity for the students. The eight-drop-two schedule was a great way for students to not only learn in the classroom, but outside of the classroom. It would teach them to be more responsible, accountable, organized and manage their time better. This schedule was such a desirable choice for our corporation and not choosing it is stripping a high quality education away from the students.

The quality of education should be put first.

At the end of the day, I feel like the best choice was cut short by just taking the easy way through the seven-period day.

Lucas Lyons

Rural Portland