Westlake High School considers change in schedule
By Kyle Jorrey kjorrey@theacorn.com

Westlake High School Principal Ron Lipari wants his staff to have more time to talk about how to make the school better and, according to a poll conducted at WHS, the teachers agree.

After that poll revealed 91 percent of the school's educators were in favor of the change, the school's administration went to the Conejo Valley school board with plans to add 14 "Common Planning Time" days to its school calendar, to be used by staff to more effectively plan for school improvement.

The proposed plan, which also includes extending the regular school day by three minutes so that students get out at 2:48 p.m. instead of 2:45 p.m., would result in the loss of 300 instructional minutes and the addition of 854 minutes of staff development time, according to WHS assistant principal Richard Urias.

The time would be taken during first period, from 8:01 a.m. to 9:02 a.m., on 14 days of the year. During that time, juniors and seniors, who make up the largest percentage of students who take vol

untary period one classes, would be free to use the library or cafeteria, participate in counselor presentations, make course requests or, if they have a valid off-campus lunch pass, leave campus. Freshmen and sophomores will have all those choices except leaving campus.

At the recent school board meeting, board president Pat Phelps recalled that such a schedule change was rejected by the CVUSD school board years ago. She said today's educational climate leaves her much more inclined to support such a proposal.

"At the time there was a concern that students weren't having enough seat time, and now we've decided that kids don't always need to be in a seat to benefit at school," Phelps said.

According to Urias, students will be able to use the 14 free periods to take care of responsibilities that used to force them to leave class. He also added that despite the

loss of instructional minutes, Westlake is still way over the state's requirement.

"We're 600 minutes over as is," Urias said.

The board is expected to vote on the proposal June 27.