A new schedule may soon be on the agenda of Mansfield ISD school board meetings. A hybrid A/B block schedule has been proposed as a way to increase student productivity and reduce homework load. Junior Amelia Jackson has a full load of classes, many of those being AP and doesn’t want to sit in one class for too long.
“We are preoccupied and love a change of information,” Jackson said. “Just getting up and walking to a new class helps to keep us focused and attentive.”
A possible schedule combination includes alternating four of a students’ eight classes A/B style Monday through Thursday and then visiting all eight blocks on Friday. Other options include an accelerated schedule, where the students would attend a class every day for an hour and a half, but they would only have each class for a semester. Sophomore Haggadiah Bomar doesn’t think she will look forward to spending an hour and a half in a class a day.
“It would get me tired of that subject all the time,” Bomar said. “After 45 minutes I would be done and ready to get out of that class.”
An overwhelming amount of students seem to support keeping the nine block schedule including senior Colin McGahey, who was on the A/B schedule his freshmen year at Legacy.
“I like the the nine block because you get to see your teacher and students everyday,” McGahey said. “The day seems to go by quicker because of shorter classes.”
Administrators fear they would have to hire more teachers because of the A/B schedule. Students on the other hand, prefer the way exams would work on an accelerated schedule. Instead of taking exams at the end of the year, students would take “semester exams” at the nine week interval and they would take “end of course exams” at the end of the semester.
Senior Abby Hogue attended a different high school her freshmen year and used a block schedule. She prefers A/B blocks because it gives her more time to be productive.
“It’s more productive if you have block schedule, you get more bored but you have more time,” Hogue said. “I feel like I am at a disadvantage to people who have block schedule because they are working more.”
