The implementation of the new flex schedule, placing flex between periods one and two on Thursdays and Fridays, and all-eight periods on Wednesdays, has been made by administrators to enhance student success. As the school year begins, administrators are observing how students are adapting to the changes and addressing any challenges that arise.
Principal Adam Skyles has been at the forefront of the changes, voicing that the change was needed. He shared how other schools have the same schedule and they expect to see development in flex attendance as well as grades overall.
“If you look nationally, there’s schools all over the country who run flex. Most schools run it during the school day embedded in the day at some point, not at the very end of the day,” Skyles said. “And what we think is we will get more students engaging in flex and decrease the amount of students who are receiving NP’s throughout the year.”He added that not only will the schedule benefit students’ grades and attendance, but athletes as well, giving them better accessibility for flex.
“It also has a positive impact on athletics. We have a lot of athletes that miss days, but then they also miss flex to make up those days,” Skyles said. “And so having flex earlier in the day will allow for us to have more opportunities for students.”
Vice principal Keyla Santiago adds how administrators have attended student council meetings to receive feedback in order to make changes that benefit students, recommending that students with concerns reach out.
“For students, if they’re struggling with the system, please reach out. You can go to the office and set up an appointment. We want to help you,” instructional specialist Kim Kanof said.
Kanof emphasizes the research that administrators went through in order to determine that this change would best support students within flex. Noting that flex attendance had significantly declined the previous year.
“We got the idea from other schools within PPS, so there are some other schools like Benson that changed the time of their flex, and it went over really well there,” Kanof said. “So we went over and watched it. We learned from the staff, from their administration, and from students. So we decided that we would try it here based off that positive feedback.”
As administrators receive more feedback from students, additional changes to address concerns are being made.
“We have made that adjustment that students as long as they are moving from one class to another students can go check in with multiple teachers during the flex period,” instructional specialist Bree Tischleder said.
Regardless, administrators are working tirelessly to improve this new system to genuinely benefit students and address their concerns, making changes as needed.
Flex still has many improvements to come to benefit and work for every student. While administrators and the student council continue to hear students’ concerns, they aim for this new system to become routine as we progress further into the year.
