EDITOR’S NOTE: The West Seattle High School newspaper will be sharing student-produced stories on WSB from time to time. Their new edition is out – should be linked here by day’s end – and the top story is big news; we are checking out reader reports of a student protest this morning, related to this change. Here is the student-reported story as published in the newly released November edition of WSHS’s The Chinook.
By Simone Machmiller
Reporting for West Seattle High School’s newspaper, The Chinook
Special to West Seattle Blog
West Seattle High School is planning to once again change the schedule. This schedule is slated to go into effect in January and will be the sixth time the senior class has faced a new schedule in their four years as WSHS. The schedule change is planned in order to solve union disputes with [Operating Engineers] Local 609, the union the lunch workers are protected through, and will result in WSHS going to two lunches.
Principal Ruth Medsker came up with the idea of splitting the school into having two lunches and having each half take a lunch before fourth period or after fourth period. This is a big change for WSHS students who are used to going to lunch straight after fourth period all together. Now they’ll have to compromise and go to lunch with only the people with the same lunch period.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” said junior, Emmie Riley. “There’s no problem with our lunch now so there’s no reason to change it.”
Although the principal is in favor of this new change, the students don’t really agree with her.
“It is stupid because it will screw up our schedules,” said senior Jesse Tarabochia.
The teachers were told about this new proposed lunch schedule on Wednesday, November 10, after the agreement was signed by Gloria Morris, Human Resources Manager, David Westberg, Business Manager, Local 609 and Medsker.
At the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, Medsker was given notification of a grievance, where the “Local 609 filed an unfair labor practice complaint with PERC (Public Employment Relations Commission) alleging failure to bargain over changes to lunch or breakfast schedules.” Cleveland High School, McClure Middle School, and West Seattle High School were the three schools under a legal argument. The school was forced to come up with something to make the Local 609 happy.
This year’s schedule allotted for five fewer minutes during second breakfast, which was the issue. Students frustrated with the potential of another schedule change wonder what are the options? “Options, there aren’t any,” said Medsker. “We have to have two lunches with no second breakfast and starting school at 8:10 am. We will be in line with all the other schools.”
Research shows that only four out of the 10 high schools in the Seattle Public Schools district currently have two lunches and that six, including WSHS, have one. Making WSHS have two lunches will not bring the school into the norm of the other schools; in fact, it will just make it 50-50 between the district’s schools.
A lot of teachers were unaware of the legal issue until after Medsker made a decision on having two lunches. Teacher input was not requested as a whole.
Since the settlement agreement has already been signed by the three parties, Medsker said there is nothing that anyone can do to change her mind.
“It’s done,” said Medsker. “I think it’s a reasonable decision for all needs, it’s just change and it’s hard, but I am not super-excited about supervising two lunches.”
There are other options that WSHS could resort to. Teacher Jeff Ursino proposed a 53 min. model last year with a 15-minute break and with only one lunch. Medsker dismissed this idea because of “impracticality” for the students memorizing when each class would start, even though Ursino’s schedule would work perfectly with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 609 and Seattle School District No. 1.
If students are involved in clubs, ASB, sports, etc. their time to work will be compromised. Lunch time is when a lot of clubs and ASB students meet. By changing from one lunch, to two, it will make meeting at lunch impossible.
“Things like that have to be worked out,” said Medsker. “Before school and after school. Other schools do it; we just need to learn how they work under the two lunch conditions.”
Student athletes who are currently in clubs as well, will no longer be able to participate in clubs because they are unable to go in after school to the meetings.
Meetings before school would be 30 minutes early, requiring students to come to school around 7:35 a.m.
This contradicts one of Medsker’s reasons for starting school later.
“Research shows that adolescents perform better in schools with later starts,” said Medsker.
Another frustration with the new schedule is the limited opportunity to make up tests or check in with teachers.
“I have three meetings a week at lunch, sometimes four,” said senior Madison Doll. “Monday ASB, Tuesday class officer, Wednesday Diversity Club, and every other week Luncheon Committee. With the new schedule change I will not be able to meet during lunch, making it impossible to get even half the things done that are needed.”
Student athletes may be affected even more than the average student. Athletes will no longer be able to go to the club meetings they used to attend at lunch and they are worried about the limited time to check in with teachers in order to keep on top of their academics.
“I use break and lunch to get help when I don’t understand something, or am absent, because I don’t have time after school due to baseball,” said senior Kellen Gearon. “Without them I am likely to fall behind.”
Students in the Drama Club are also worried about the effect no break and a split lunch will have on their performance in school.
“During shows I have absolutely no time to get help from teachers after school,” said senior David Ramirez, who just completed a key role in the Drama Club’s fall play. “Break and lunch are my only hopes of seeing teachers outside of class for help.”
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WSB EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks again to The Chinook for sharing their story, and we look forward to more of the student journalists’ work. Meantime, we are working to follow up on this to find out more, particularly from the union whose action is reported to have triggered this.
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