New school calendar revealed

Jeongin Kim, Staff editor
February 6, 2020

In November, Baltimore County officialized its new 2020-2021 school calendar. Summer will end on Sept. 8. The ten-day spring break will begin earlier from March 27 to April 6, compared to this year’s April 4 to 14. These changes will also extend school to June 23.

Robin Park, a current senior, voices her worry for next year’s students: “I understand the concern that AP (Advanced Placement) students have with starting the school later and having a longer spring break because when we account for snow days, we’ll have even less time to go to class and prepare ourselves.  So I think that the new schedule is not as good as the one we have this year.”

However, junior Cynthia Wang doesn’t mind the changes. “For APs, I think it will be fine since with spring break could [be used for] self-preparation. I’m happy that I get to miss more days of school. Who doesn’t miss sleeping in? Also, that gives me more time to spend with friends before we part ways at the end of fall.”

A bone of contention among students is how classes will work around the AP exams, but most AP teachers anticipate no major adjustments.

According to AP calculus Brocha Siff, “[There’s] not much I can change in terms of my lesson plans. I don’t think I can move any faster because there is only so much a person can process in a given time frame.”

Freshman Michelle Wang said, “I like next year’s plan. But if I were to have a concern, it would be what to use the time for classes after the AP exam since school ends later.”

A unanimous concern is how to keep students focused after APs. Park says, “Ending school on the 23rd is too far into the summer and will give students more classes that feel like filler.”

With no air-conditioning in most of the building, hot summer days usually result in the cancellation of school. But with a limited amount of time and a fixed number of required school days, working through the peak summer is unavoidable.

Deborah Hamilton, AP and honors English teacher, voices her qualms. “You can’t depend on the weather. One year a kid fainted in my class! It was so hot. I think the seniors are still going to be leaving at the end of May. That is really tough to keep everybody focused for three weeks. People are ready to be out.”

But Siff remarks that despite the changes, everyone will inevitably find ways to adjust, “I have seen a lot of change over the years in teaching. Somehow we always get through even if it is not the best decision.”