For the past 15 years at Berkeley High School, students have been able to use late start Mondays as extra time to sleep in, coupled with shorter class periods at around 43 minutes per period. Late start Mondays for teachers, however, are much different. Every Monday at 8:30 a.m., teachers must report to mandatory staff meetings. Because of recent developments with the state and the school district, incoming freshmen and sophomores will be required to take P.E. as a fifth core class alongside English, math, history, and science, likely adding a seventh period for students seeking an additional elective.
In response, staff members are proposing new ideas to create a more efficient schedule that allows them ample time for meetings without reducing students' downtime. The most probable change is a switch from late start Mondays to early release Wednesdays. Many BHS teachers and staff members support the motion, noting that it would align BHS with other Berkeley Unified School District middle schools, which already use early release Wednesdays for staff meetings.“If we want to actually be better teachers, we could have shared professional development (days) with the middle schools,” Joseph L. Smith, BHS’ Academic Choice lead and AP Macroeconomics teacher said.
An aligned schedule would allow more teacher collaboration and support across schools, especially given frequent Monday holidays. Holding staff meetings on Wednesdays allows teachers to integrate critical learning on Mondays; instead by opening the week with a flexible day where teachers can incorporate a more in-depth curriculum and hold a review day halfway through the week. Because of limited time on Mondays, teachers may struggle to introduce new subjects or units –– hindering students from immersing themselves in the curriculum and leading to superficial learning. “I theorize that if we did have an early release Wednesday, the weeks might have more structure because we'd have Monday, Tuesday to learn, and Wednesday to review,” Smith said. As opposed to late start Mondays, early release Wednesdays would allow teachers to begin the week with more condensed material.
For students, however, this potential shift in the bell schedule could be much harder to adjust to, as late start Mondays allow students an easy transition into the week. It’s not a secret that most BHS students appreciate the extra time on Monday mornings. In fact, some students use the period to engage in added experiences and activities that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. “I love my late start Mondays. I have a little tradition where I get breakfast with my friends that morning,” Simon Spinrad, a BHS junior, said. Others use this time to recharge and prepare for the week ahead. With an additional hour and half before the bell, students can leisurely get ready, prepare food, or complete lingering homework. “I'll get up at 7:30 and then I have some time to scroll in bed, get homework done … and turn the start of my week really positive,” Mia Bella, a BHS sophomore said.
For students with long commutes to BHS, the additional time on Monday mornings accommodates an unhurried start before the school week, which can be difficult during regular days of the week. “I am somebody that used to live far away, in Pinole, and I had to leave the house at 7:15 every morning to get to school on time, because I also had to drop off my little sister. And so I'm like, ‘Wow, this is so much easier for everybody else that lives so far away too,’” Bella said.
Late start Mondays, if they are eliminated, would be challenging for students to adjust to, considering the convenience and flexibility they provide. However, for BHS teachers, this shift could offer more opportunities for collaboration and professional development. Ultimately, late start Mondays, while adored by students, might see an end at BHS as the conversation about a changing bell schedule begins to become a possible reality.