A Student's Perspective on Shortening the School Week
The last thing the district needs to do is significantly reduce in person classroom time.
After widespread divisiveness among parents and students within Portland Public Schools about masking, vaccine mandates, and even the question of returning to school this past fall, the last thing the district needs to do is significantly reduce in person classroom time.
As a senior in high school, I am tired. I am stressed. I am ready for what comes next. However, I am not looking for less class time. If the concern motivating a shorter schedule is overworked teachers, then a better solution is to reduce what they have to do outside of the classroom. Students similarly need lighter workloads and, with that, teachers would logically have less to grade.
School in recent times has often been looked at as something that's stress inducing, and a part of life that has little to look forward to. This needs to change. We need more counselors, more mental health professionals to meet the needs of all students. We need time to socialize, time to make new friendships, and time to make positive strides towards our social-emotional needs. This happens inside the classroom.
After being online for a year and half of school, the answer to increased stress and struggling students is not to put us back online. As a student, I would be extremely frustrated if my district shifted towards a four-day-a-week model.
Xander is a Student, Skier, Traveler, and Portlander.
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