Ritika Iyer
Managing Editor

Principal Mark Corti made a surprising turnaround late last month when he announced Cal High would not be implementing a traditional day next year.

This decision was met by relief from many Cal students, teachers and parents, many of whom had strongly protested against any schedule change.

Unfortunately for those who don’t support the addition of a traditional day to Cal’s current block schedule, the issue is far from dead.

The San Ramon Valley Unified School District is now creating a committee to explore the schedules at all four district high schools. Monte Vista, San Ramon, and Dougherty Valley are on traditional schedules in which every class meets each day.

“It was a collective decision based on the fact that some other high schools would like to see changes, too,” Corti said after a student forum where he told students no change would be made next school year.

Although the new committee has not been formed, Corti said its goal is to create a uniform schedule change for the four high schools as early as the 2013-2014 school year.

School board President Greg Marvel said he assumes that students, parents, teachers, and administrators will be part of the committee.
“It’s going to benefit all schools, and the biggest change will probably be here at Cal,” said Corti. “One day a week wasn’t going to crush us, but now it’s going district-wide, so it could look different.”

Corti said San Ramon Valley and Dougherty Valley high schools are looking into blending the block schedule into their current traditional schedules. Cal could eventually have one, three, or even five traditional days in the future.

“I think blending traditional and block makes good sense,” said Superintendent Steven Enoch. “I believe that if I could wave a magic wand, high schools would have some block schedule.

“I don’t think any one schedule meets the needs of all the students,” Enoch continued. “That’s why I like the idea of ablended approach.”
Enoch made it clear that implementing a uniform schedule change requires in-depth discussion, debate and research.

Corti agreed, saying the block schedule is beneficial to students. He thinks looking at a district-wide schedule change is a good idea.

“There’s no proof that one schedule is better than another, if there was then every school would be following it,” said Corti. “We keep trying to find a better system.”

The school board will play a role in deciding the structure of any schedule change.

“For us, it really is a data driven issue,” said Marvel. “We want to do what is in the best interest of students to prepare them for college and life.”

Prior to Corti’s abrupt announcement that there would be no schedule change next year at a Jan. 25 staff meeting, Enoch said he was never overly concerned with high school schedules and hoped Cal students, staff and administration would reach a compromise on the issue.

Cal’s teacher union representatives Kelly King and Stacey Quick expressed their concerns to Enoch on Jan. 18 in a private meeting with Corti and other district employees.

“It was a fact-finding mission for Enoch and the district,” said King, a science and math teacher. “We were heard, we got to voice some of our concerns and issues.”

Teachers weren’t the only ones who had concerns about the schedule change.

Many juniors who opposed the change felt relieved upon learning they would graduate with a full block schedule.

“I’m relieved because I know that as a senior, it’ll be my best year without having to think about all my classes in one day,” said junior Varun Battu.

Hours after Corti announced to teachers there would be no schedule change, dozens of students attended a lunchtime meeting where they were able to ask questions and express their concerns for the future.

Corti hoped the forums would help students understand that the changes were proposed for the benefits of all students.

Many students that attended the forum were members of the Save the Block Schedule Club, headed by sophomore Ashton DeLano and advised by King. The club has worked all year to stop Corti’s proposed changes.

“(The club) really cares about how the block schedule affects us and we think it’s important for students to be involved,” said sophomore club member Marnie Lowe.

Corti’s initial plan was to have the schedule changed for the current school year. But after much teacher resistance, he postponed it to the 2012-2013 year.

“I had input from staff, and then this year, the whole thing turned on me,” said Corti.

Corti said he feels students and staff were scared all (block) days were going away.

The district first realized the opposition to Corti’s proposed change at a Jan. 10 school board meeting when a large crowd of Cal students, teachers and parents voiced their opinions.

About 10 members of the club, including Lowe, DeLano, and Quick, an English teacher, made speeches to the school board about the cons of the change. Corti, who was in attendance, was accused of making a quick decision without having received any feedback.

“(Students were frustrated) because I had all the answers,” said Corti.

Former Cal parent Becky Livingston also spoke at the meeting, but disagreed with the students’ points. She said when her daughter switched from a block to traditional schedule there was no change in her academics and she had better contact with teachers.

But many current Cal parents oppose the change.

“Making a change in the schedule does not solve the problems for the students who are not motivated,” said Dorothy Camenzind, a parent of two Cal students.

Camenzind is also concerned with how her daughter, sophomore Kathy Camenzind, will manage her time in a blended schedule with both athletics and a heavy course load.

Corti said he would have liked to talk to more students and explain his reasoning differently.

“I didn’t talk to students as much because at the time we weren’t sure which schedule we were going to use,” said Corti. “I wanted to be able to show them the definite schedule.”

Corti said it’s now time to move on, and hopes students and staff won’t look at the schedule change as a negative idea anymore.
Despite the relief some now have, many students aren’t giving up their fight.

“We are still staying very attentive to the district’s plan for the schedule and will stay active as long as necessary,” said Lowe.