Challenges

Questions to Answer: 1. How would moving to a 7-period schedule negatively impact the group that you’re representing? What challenges, pitfalls, burdens might your group experience? 2. How would moving to a 7-period schedule negatively impact Loyola High School as a whole? What big picture items do we need to keep in min? 3. What are some of the negative issues surrounding the ideas proposed during the positive brainstorming session last month? Raise specific issues with individual points.

Brainstorming Guidelines: 1) All ideas will be heard and recorded. 2) Share one idea at a time. (1-2 minute max) 3) Everyone will get a chance to share!

· Losing focus on original purpose · Conflict scheduling with athletes · Create more stress for students · Difficulty in getting like-minded people in groups like band in 7th period · Different aged athletes in same 7th period · Necessary to grow security · Everyone needs his or her own classroom & possible conflict · Potentially no more early Friday · How to create a budget for new buildings to accommodate new classes · Students may need to walk longer distances · Counseling department may not be able to take kids out of class as often · More teachers -> More teaching expenses -> Higher tuition · More staff needed to maintain and secure campus -> HIGHER COST · Create more difficulty in assigning classrooms · Where is the space to accommodate the new expansion · Students may need to take Community College classes · Make sure 7th period isn’t combined to have an extra sports practice · If the day goes longer, the students will be home later · How would it be implemented; would it be mandatory ?; How would we transition into this? · Students may be unnecessarily challenging themselves by taking an extra AP class, thinking they need to take advantage of the 7th period · Keeping quality of academics · Potentially shorter recess and lunch · 7th period might be called nap time · Problems with transportation · What if this fails horribly, can we go back to the old schedule · Make 7th period at beginning of day for athletics, which might affect students who prefer afternoon practice · Why not just add an 8th, and 9th, and 10th period · Shortening of lunch, lengthening of day–how does that affect transportation and commuting, picking up students · Clubs/athletics: if there is an off–campus head coach, moderator: very difficult if things are rotating · If there were to be extra personnel: where would additional personnel park? Already tight on parking. More resources required · Can the 7th period be an online class? If it is mandatory, could lose personal interaction of live instruction. How to educate community to consider the possibility? · More classes = more work? Higher expectation of what students are supposed to incorporate into regular schedule? · For science classes, difficult to secure extra lab facilities · Starting earlier/ending later = could be very difficult in terms of traffic. We could lose students and/or teachers because of extended commute · Online classes: risk of cheating (having someone else impersonate a student) · Are we going to be able to phase things in? How will change from one year to another affect students (and faculty)? · Possible increase in expenses for parents for additional courses (textbooks, lab/materials fees, etc.) · Additional prep work for faculty–additional stress for teachers · Not much flexibility with six periods; possible increase in time and expense of doing summer school · Original focus was theology: complications of discussing other factors when it is mainly theology that is driving discussion · Adding stuff just to add it? Things that we don't need? · Way to add theology in without adding the other period? · Liability/supervision issues for students "roaming" during "free" period · Complexity of adding "bailout" plan; stress of going back to old plan if new one is a disaster · Might cause elimination of afternoon practices · Limits ability for students to do non–Loyola activities during the summer · Also impact on summer vacation · Difficulty in selling idea to donors (adding time but not really utilizing it efficiently?) · Managing stress on kids' part · Time management skills that have to be learned by/taught to students (managing extra curricular activities) · "Change in itself could be negative." · Training teachers to adopt different class schedules · Professional development time? Where to fit in? · Very difficult to fit everything in particularly for seniors · Possibility for faculty to leave because of disruption
 * Challenges from Angela's Group:**


 * Challenges from Jason's Group:**

> > · Increase in faculty results in increased users/equipment > · Hiring faculty that is adverse to technology > · Not utilizing the extra period for at least one tech class would be a travesty > · If extra period serves faculty more than students > · If extra period is shoved into current schedule > · Afraid of change in general > · The unknown is an obstacle > · Not adding theology/not adding a variety of courses > · Academic [for parents] v. more free classes [for students/faculty] > · Length of the day > · Work increase for main office staff > · Students and faculty that commute may find it difficult > · Facilities – Labor increase for field/classroom maintenance > · Operational costs go up for supplies > · Altered schedule for facilities night crew > · Decreased time for field maintenance > · Installation of lights for athletics > · Additional security for later games > · Impact on coaches – change in schedule > · More classes missed with extra period > · Teachers will end up doing more work/more volunteer > · Longer day = greater stress for faculty/staff > · Hire an extra librarian for night > · We decline the archdiocese – we dictate our schedule > · We already have wasted hours in our schedule > · One person at the helm – driving the schedule change > · Increased costs for parents – they absorb our costs > · Decreased middle class student attendance > · Physical space limitations for PE/Health > · Faculty moving from space to space > · Increased classroom space – costs > · Lack of space for faculty during their free period(s) > · Less productive during free period if you have to roam > · Students more tired/more stressed > · Driving time is extended/carpooling impacted > · Maybe more on campus parking is needed > · More AP >  · Favoritism for certain classes/departments > · Certain classes might be affected curriculum-wise > · Open schedule –students congregate by gym could be a problem > · Costs of family time for everyone > · The image of Loyola may be altered – students less likely to be involved in extra-curriculars due to increase in class time > · Longer day results in longer hours for same salary > · Expansion and then reversal of decision results in layoffs > · More instructional minutes for a class, but the class time for subject may decrease > · Driven by anti-communism > · CHANGE is too hard > · It’s one more task in a place that is already too busy. > · Adds unnecessary stress to both students and teachers. > · It unnecessarily recreates the wheel when there may be a solution within the Theology Department. > · It is too big of a solution when it may be possible to turn community service hours into a class. > · Even if more classes are offered, students will be coerced to choose only one activity to join. > · Even if an extra class is devoted to clubs, clubs will simply meet during that class and before and after school. Essentially, carving out time for the club will not qualify the time to only that class; hence, creating a longer day for both teachers and students while limiting the students to only one activity. > · It may double the work for extra curricular activities. > · It will create havoc among those students who do commute > · As a consequence, we may find that adding this extra period may engender an attrition of both students and teachers who will no longer be able to cope with the commuting times. > · Since students may have to choose only one activity, often students will choose sports as their top priority, creating an atmosphere of “Jock Institution” instead of an academically rigorous institution. > · May cause a decrease in class minutes, i.e., a 45 min. period, and we currently do not have enough academic time. > · May cause an overall increase in instructional minutes but a decrease in specific instructional minutes. > · We may surrender too much time; in contrast, the possibility to a block schedule may create a class that is too long. > · Block schedules may negatively impact the approach some teachers employ for teaching specific areas of their curriculum, i.e., grammar. > · Teachers will find themselves with more to do without fair compensation. > · School may not be able to absorb the cost of a 7 period day since this may require more teachers and space. Ultimately, this cost is passed on to parents who may no longer afford the increase in tuition. > · May negatively impact summer school, a vital portion of some teacher’s income. > · Details are too complex for a simple solution. > · May preclude future opportunities of the school such as the addition of a junior high. > · Essentially, teachers will be asked to do more. > · Not just financial costs but may costs on families and teachers who may lose time with their own families. > · Ultimately, to absorb the costs of this change the middle class students will be squeezed out, completely changing the mission of the school and the signature of a Jesuit education that champions socio-economic diversity. > · May leave some teachers without a classroom for their prep. period; possible inefficient use of time. Roaming teachers are not as productive as those who have a permanent classroom.
 * ** __Negatives__ **


 * Challenges from Robb's Group:**
 * whaterver schedule we do, does not add to the stress of students...not more on their plates
 * if school day lengthened at the end, it could impact athletic practices
 * if 7th period added, it might affect quality of instructions if shorter classes
 * Senior project potentially affected negatively
 * how would students manage 7 classes if they are having trouble with 6?
 * it would be putting students more into the congested LA Traffic pattern
 * regulation of when students would be coming and going
 * Summer school--7th period day could affect the number of teachers who would be hired for summer school and thus affect their income, as well as financial concern about how Loyola's general income would be affected
 * Tuition increases could be significant
 * More work for the same pay for faculty as well as add to the school's budget
 * More teachers and classes would require more facilities and potentially shared classrooms, lack of space
 * change is difficult for entire community
 * more students to grade, more stress for teachers
 * both teachers and students would not like to take away half-day dismissals on Friday
 * From parents: Previously, while college prep has been good, stress load on students has been great
 * It might start as something intended to reduce stress, but it would be difficult to prevent the schedule morphing into something that would start burdening students and faculty far more than intended
 * if day is lengthened at the end, athletes will miss more class time
 * Could affect enrollment, fewer students choosing Loyola
 * Confusing transcripts
 * Longer days could cut down on participation in extracurricular activities
 * reduced Family Time!
 * more homework for students who already have a stressful load of work
 * student who is taking a full load of APs would then take more
 * Equal schedules and classes for students
 * Competition for the class time could have negative impact for faculty and depts.
 * SAT Prep ...additional stress
 * Because of potentially increased collaboration, workload for faculty could increase without enough time
 * A switch to a total block schedule would potentially require additional faculty training, education
 * Funding the yet to be determined courses as well as faculty...for example, additional music program would require greater funding
 * A block schedule might encourage students to not spread out homework effectively
 * If students had a true free period, more security and supervision needed
 * Students might not use a free period effectively
 * Faculty might have increased number of preps
 * Longer day means later practices for athletes, for example, impact on sleep and rest needs for students in extracurricular activities
 * Adding another period could reduce amount of depth of classroom instruction in order to increase breadth of subjects
 * Changing expectations of students and changing departmental requirements
 * Less direct contact with students, available time to meet with students
 * A changed schedule might not adequately prepare students for challenging university courses and schedule
 * An earlier start to the day could push morning athletic practices even earlier for students
 * Two different start times for students would affect logistics in commutes
 * Life skills courses could be helpful, but since Loyola is a college prep school, those courses might not fit our educational needs and philosophy
 * Schedule change could negatively affect the mission of our school and applicants
 * If we offered online courses, it still affects workload for both students and faculty and may not be as effective as in-person courses
 * Potential distraction for guys if school offers co-ed courses
 * Affects courses in terms of potential lower enrollment, considerations about whether to eliminate lower enrollment courses
 * Unintended consequences because organic changes produce unforeseen problems
 * Transition period will be challenging in terms of adjustment, educational needs
 * Fear that Loyola will become more of an 'academic' school rather than 'well-rounded' institution
 * More substitute teachers may be needed if teacher/coaches have to leave earlier, could affect budget
 * More time, more work, more stress= lower grades, college acceptances
 * A quarter-system would make for a rushed teaching environment
 * More tests would have to be fit into a quarter-schedule
 * More Periods for Teachers
 * Lack of Organized Time for Students during a 7th period
 * Loss of teaching time to make up for the 7th period Sports coaches will simply add this to their time and make more time for practice for students
 * There is no real reason for us to do this except a mandate from the downtown offices
 * Conflicts in scheduling or people using this time for multiple events
 * We might lose some of the specific time advantages we have had in the past like Friday early dismissals
 * Pressure on teachers to fill this time with more academics
 * More pressure on students to take more academics and AP classes
 * We are only doing this to help a few groups on campus