Administration explains reforms to Learn policy
With the start of the new year, the administration has set new security measures to ensure the safety of everyone in the school. Examples of these new security policies are the removal of a buzzer on Door Four and a new sign-out policy in the main office. These measures have come with a mixed reaction from many in the schools population.
“They’re taking away our student rights,” junior Maheen Saeed said.
However even though these new measures seem sudden and unnecessary to most the administration said they are necessary in order to uphold the function of the school, while also ensuring saftey.
“We have to to be able to account for where all students are going because one of my responsibilities is the safety and security of everyone in this building,” principal Jeff Litz said.
The most controversial of these changes has been in relation to Learn, in that once the bell rings every student must remain in a classroom through the entirety of Learn, and anyone caught in the halls will face a sweep. In previous years, students were allowed to go from different classes and even openly walk through the halls.
“We’re just trying to get as much work as we can [done] during this Learn period,” Saeed said. “We’re not trying to disturb the peace.”
While there are students trying to get caught up with work or looking for help from a teacher, according to the school’s security and administration, there are more students not using their time wisely.
“As we’ve grown the hallways during Learn have become more and more crowded with students just walking the square, leaving grounds and not doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” Litz said.
This Learn change doesn’t only affect the students who need to get some extra work done but also the teachers in class. Though not directly affected by the change they are having to deal with a larger amount of students in their learn than in previous years, though some see it as a necessary evil.
“The rooms can get over crowded but the concept of learn was kind of getting away from us as an administration so kids were running around the halls and not using the time productively, which is what learn is for,” social studies teacher Dean Wood said.
The ultimate cause for this change comes from recent overpopulation with the school community due to an increase demand for the International Baccalaureate program.
“In the last two weeks well over 50 families moved in and registered,” Litz said. “I think the word is out on how good of a school we are, some of it, but a lot of it is because I continue to take in kids from other schools for IB.”