Incoming families to West Seattle High School are told that the four-period day allows for a greater choice of classes and greater personalization. Here is what they are not told:

The reason West Seattle High School students can take eight classes instead of six in a school year is because they are getting a shortened class. Instead of having 150 -165 hours in class, as a year-long course in a six-period day would have, West Seattle High School students get between 112 and 117 hours. This is so much difference that it would be like letting students at a regular high school out in April.

The lesser number of hours to instruct means that teachers must decide which parts of the curriculum to cut. It also means that students get approximately half as many nights for homework, so they cannot do as many projects, read as many books, or simply study.

In a four-period day schedule, students will take a year-long course in one semester. This means that there are large gaps between classes. For example, if their Language Arts class is first semester of ninth grade, they will wait for their next LA class at least seven months or even 12 months. Imagine going that long without working on writing skills.

The current administration is proposing that next year ninth and 10th graders be given math each semester. While this prevents the long gap between classes, it means that these students will have to attempt to digest four years' worth of math in half that time. This is not developmentally appropriate nor even possible for many students.

Teachers in a four-period day do get advantages. They have 55 percent more planning time each day, and they have a student load 60 percent less than teachers at a six-period day school.

If the four-period day were so successful for students, West Seattle's test scores would show it. But one look at the WASL scores on the district website confirms that this is not the case.

Do not believe that it is a small group of disgruntled parents who are trying to force West Seattle High School to change. The parents who are spearheading this reform represent hundreds of families who are dissatisfied with the four-period day at West Seattle High School, families who have transferred out because of the four-period day, and families who did not even consider West Seattle High School as a choice because of the four-period day.

The unwillingness of a handful of teachers at West Seattle High School to accept change is keeping the school from doing the best for its students. This unwillingness is driving more and more neighborhood families away from their nearest high school.

It is time for West Seattle High School to become a powerful neighborhood school again. The experimental schedule has had a chance to run, and it is not working.

Please support the efforts for change. Attend the remainder of the Steering Committee meetings June 5 and 19 at 3 p.m. in the school library, and write letters to the following:

Mickey.Lahmann@k12.wa.us; rsmanhas@seattleschools.org; cjsantorno@seattleschools.org; irene.stewart@seattleschools.org;cheryl.chow@seattleschools.org; sally.soriano@seattleschools.org; darlene.flynn@seattleschools.org; brita.butler-wall@seattleschools.org; michael.debell@seattleschools.org; mary.bass@seattleschools.org

Bridget Daly

johnle@oz.net

Tom and Nancy Swenson

nansonia@hotmail.com

Nancy and Ted Hadley

tedhadley@msn.com

Gayle Emmick

wsufd@comcast.net

Margaret Chodos-Irvine

bcimci@oz.net

West Seattle Coalition for

Excellence in Public Education