School district’s master plan has its pros and cons

The school district is touting its master plan, which includes a

gradual redesign of the high school curriculum and scheduling.

Basically, students get a more flexible schedule. Students attending

Newport-Mesa high schools will have the opportunity to take evening

and online courses, and the plan is to restructure high school

curriculums, scheduling, environment, instruction and community

involvement to meet changing student needs. The flexibility will also

give students the opportunity to graduate in three, four or five

years depending on how many classes they choose to squeeze in.

Do you think this approach to redesigning high school curriculums

and schedules will enhance student learning, or do you think a more

traditional schedule is more conducive?

Redesigning high school is a lofty idea, but not a good one. Kids

need the structure and discipline of the traditional school day,

because that is reality.

Proponents say teens need more sleep. Phooey. I have had five

teens and know they procrastinate, stay up late on the phone,

watching TV, etc., then cramming until the wee hours. The current

system isn’t broken: It’s called self-discipline and getting ready

for the real world. Kids make up for lost sleep on the weekends.

Students who want flexibility in high school can consider home

schooling, the county’s program at Pacific Coast High School or

independent study at Monte Vista. Students have access to college

classes at Middle College High School.

How would this idea fit in with working parents? Would kids spend

more time at home during the day? Is that OK with parents? An

oversight and accountability system -- a student contract -- would be

necessary.

Where is this concept being tried now? A lot more research,

planning and piloting of the idea needs to take place.

Remember new, new math, whole language and bilingual education?

These innovative ideas were thought to make learning easier but

actually “dumbed down” the curriculum and diminished rigor.

Parents need to be wary of any plan and stay involved so the

district doesn’t slip in changes without parent buy-in. Let’s not

rush ahead just to make things easier and more convenient for our

kids. I think we indulge them enough already.

* WENDY LEECE is a parent who lives in Costa Mesa and a former

Newport-Mesa school board member.

I’m not yet certain that these redesigns will enhance student

learning overall, but they will definitely enhance student learning

opportunities, and that is a good thing.

A traditional schedule with smaller class sizes would probably be

more conducive to enhanced learning, but that does not seem to be an

option at this point, given the already dire financial situation and

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reneging on his education funding

promises.

These types of programs will work well for some students, but they

should not be viewed as a panacea. I have experience with a similar

program from my own high school days in Chicago, albeit without the

cool online options. My high school began a nontraditional program

when I started. I arrived with a very strong, fundamentals-based

grade school education and thrived in the flexible, college-type

program, as did others with similar backgrounds. Many of my peers

graduated early, and test scores soared for about a third of the

class. But the program was a failure for those without a similar

level of fundamentals. They got lost and stayed lost because they

lacked basics or simply weren’t ready to handle all the freedom that

a collegiate approach to high school offered. Test scores dove for

this group, and many ended up in traditionally structured summer or

night classes to catch up. After I graduated, the original “totally

flexible” program was scaled back and eventually morphed into an

AP-type of program.

There are two lessons in that for me as related to the proposed

Newport-Mesa Unified School District programs. First, students must

be properly prepared in grade school to leverage these programs in

high school, so elementary school curriculums and teaching techniques

will have to be structured with these types of programs in mind.

Second, this type of approach must still be backed up with the

availability of traditional programs for those who require it.

* MARK GLEASON is a parent who lives in Costa Mesa.