Response to Brittany: Can you think of ways the conventional school-schedule model can be adjusted to help these students receive a quality education?

Although I’ve ALWAYS thought high-school started way too early, I think that there should be ways to allow students the opportunity to work, or fufill other special needs they may have. One friend of mine took the opportunity to leave school early in order to go straight to her job. It was the school-to-work program. Although I couldn’t believe that she had to do that, it’s a harsh reality for some families. Allowing her to finish PE independently and take her free periods at the end of the day facilitated this afterschool job. This girl used all that money from her afterschool job to get her associates, and now she has a good preschool teaching job.

There was also a student I knew of that took night classes so that he could watch his siblings during the day, since his parents were working and couldn’t afford daycare. I think the unconventional night classes, and school-to-work program, is giving students who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity, the chance to succeed and make sure they have a brighter future.