Flexisched Extends Academy Scheduling Period

On Oct. 11, a change to Flexisched extended the period during which students can schedule their academy location and teacher. 

Students can now access Flexisched on Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m and teachers can request a student at any time throughout the week. 

This year’s schedule includes a 45 minute mid-day academy period on Wednesdays and Fridays. Flexisched is the application used to assign students to classrooms during Academy for attendance purposes. Even months into the school year, students are confused about how Flexisched works and why it’s needed. 

“Academy should just be where you can go where you want,” junior Miles Antanya said. 

Due to California’s new 8:30 a.m. start requirement and the resulting elimination of tutorial, PHS needed to determine a new designated time for students to meet with teachers that also counted towards mandatory instructional minutes. Thus, the academy period was created, using the application Flexisched as a way to make it work.

“We chose Flexisched because it had most of what we needed. It’s not perfect,” said tech coach and English teacher Debbi Hill.

Hill, along with Director of Technology Stephanie Griffin, Principal Sukanya Goswami, Vice Principals Irma Munoz and Erin Igoe, and teachers, decided which program to use during academy. 

Hill said it was important to select a program that could both track students’ attendance while giving teachers and students the flexibility to choose who they want to see. 

“We’re still trying to figure out all the things that we want [Flexisched] to work for,” Hill said.

 Hill said she is aware of the complaints from both teachers and students, especially about the short sign up window, which has since been changed.

Additionally, at a staff meeting on Oct. 12, teachers were given time to reflect on academy and Flexisched and give more feedback to administrators. 

Physics teacher Marna Chamberlain was a part of this meeting and doesn’t believe that Flexisched should be criticized too harshly. 

Chamberlain said she likes how the new academy system can be used for assemblies and surveys, and that they won’t take up class time. Chamberlain also said students want increased time with their teachers, and academy is a great way to give students that opportunity.

Hill said she hopes that students will not lose faith in the academy periods or Flexisched. Since it has only been a few months into the year, she doesn’t think academy or Flexisched’s full potential has been unlocked. 

“I think with twice a week academies, there’s potential for some creative things to happen,” Hill said.