At Coronado High School, Mondays stand out, and not in the best way. Unlike the rest of the week, when classes follow a block schedule, Mondays cram all eight periods into one day. As a result, the classes average 30-minute periods, with fast-paced lessons and little to no time for deep learning. Many students and teachers believe it’s time for a change.
Ms. McDowell, an English teacher at Coronado, says, “It would be more beneficial to have a block schedule…I enjoy that kids can read, but it takes too long for them to settle down and get on task.” Shorter periods make it harder for students to focus and for teachers to complete meaningful work or lessons.
Mr. Baldwin, a Coronado administrator, explained why Mondays are structured this way: “Part of it is because we have so many students off campus doing things such as college classes, work-based learning, and other opportunities. By keeping Mondays 1–8, it allows us to keep the other days set.” With the late start on Mondays, it also allows teachers to have meetings in the morning.
While that reasoning is fair, the educational aspect of Mondays is still questionable. Several students have said that Monday classes are so short they “see no point in going.” Many described the day as “a waste of time” since teachers can barely start and teach a lesson before they get up to go to the next class.
One solution would be to switch to an alternating block schedule. For example, one Monday could have periods 1–4, and the next could have 5–8. This would balance time across all classes while keeping the week consistent. Students would have longer periods to learn and complete assignments, and teachers could spend more time on lessons instead of rushing through. Schools in other districts, like D20, already use a similar schedule successfully. It gives students more time to focus and provides a more productive start to the week. Coronado could easily do this without losing the benefits of the late-start.
Education should be about maximizing learning. By implementing an alternating block schedule, Coronado could make Mondays more meaningful for both students and teachers.
