October 14, 2009
A high school student's mother told the Syracuse Board of Education (District Clerk Ann D'Amico, President Kim Rohadfox-Ceaser, and Superintendent Dan Lowengard, pictured right) Wednesday that the new 5x5 program is hurting her son and other students. As her son A.J. sat in the front row, Diane Lloyd told education commissioners about A.J.’s problems, which began when the program was put into effect this school year.
Diane Lloyd brought up issues with the 5x5 schedule, which runs from the new times of 8:15 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., with the addition of a fifth block.
“The building principals have said the students who took advantage [of after-school time] were a very, very small percentage—like ten percent—so 90 percent weren’t taking advantage," Director of High Schools and Career Education Brian Nolan said about why the 5x5 program came to be. "The idea was to build something into the school day.”
Among the Lloyds' grievances is that after-school time that could be used to make up gym class is now nonexistent. Junior A.J. Lloyd said even an excused absence gets graded as a zero at Corcoran High School. After two zeroes, the student is failing gym.
Diane Lloyd said her biggest issue is that A.J. has missed ten classes in the span of five weeks because he has had to leave early for the golf team. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) student, A.J. is required to take 50 hours of Creative Activity Service, or extracurricular activity. International Baccalaureate is a rigorous honors curriculum program.
Nolan said some juniors and seniors are having issues with the 5x5. “We’re making adjustments as we go along,” he said. The 5x5 program will be reviewed October 21 at the Curriculum Committee meeting.
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