New Year, New Schedule, New Normal

Ashley Patterson, Contributor

Returning to campus in the 2021-2022 school year, NEISD students will be greeted with a new schedule. The proposed schedule will meet the 75,600 operational minutes per school required by the TEA that the 2019-2020 school year fell short of. It will also provide efficient and flexible time management that students and teachers will both benefit from.

The goal of this new schedule is to meet the needs of all students and provide time for teachers to make data-informed decisions that will support all learning outcomes. This will include the same amount of instruction time per week as a traditional schedule, provide built-in time for intervention and enrichment for struggling students, provide time for enrichment when they excel, and minimize stress. 

The school week will split into three different sections; Mindful Mondays, Tuesday and Thursday classes, and Wednesday and Friday classes. Mindful Monday classes will frame the lessons for the week and preview learning targets. Class periods will be 50 minutes long and the school day will run from 9:05 am to 4:25 pm. All class periods are included, and periods 6 and 7 will provide opportunities for seniors to either have early release for jobs and/or internships.

Tuesday and Thursday classes will take place between 9:05 am to 3:25 pm with 90 minute long 2nd, 4th, and 6th periods. The school day will include flex time which can be virtual or in-person and provide intervention enrichment, extracurricular extension, and targeted support. Period 6 will provide opportunities for seniors to either have early release for jobs and/or internships. 

Finally, Wednesday and Friday classes will take place between 9:05 am to 4:25 pm with 90 minute long 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th period classes. Period 7 will provide opportunities for seniors to either have early release for jobs and/or internships.

The new schedule will be an adjustment for teachers and students alike, but change might bring about a happier and more successful school environment. The lasting effects of stress and uncertainty brought about by COVID-19 have taken a toll on most of the campus, but LEE students will return to school ready to take on the challenges of their new schedule and classes.