The Alexander City Outlook

Schedule change could be for the best

It’s hard enough to get children to pay attention for 30 minutes, and it’s almost impossible to keep it for an hour and a half.

This is one of many reason Tallapoosa County public schools are looking at

moving away from a block schedule to the traditional seven classes a day schedule.

While it’s still under consideration, for the county system, the move appears to be one in the right direction.

Under the block schedule, students attend four 96-minute classes a day, and the schedule changes each semester.

The county schools are different from those in Alexander City in that the high school is not just grades ninth-12th. It’s seventh-12th.

More than an hour and a half is a longtime for a 12-year-old, and it presents many challenges for teachers.

Also, those students are taking standardized tests and college entry exams, but because the schedules change each semester, they might not have had a math or science class in months.

The schedule change might cost the system more money, but if it’s able to improve learning, then it’s well worth the extra expense.