Education reform is the long ongoing process regarding social needs of students, primarily in public high schools. The goal is to provide a safe and efficient learning environment for students. Many Skyline students agree that, while education reforms are important, they aren’t always executed correctly. Niya Quist is a Freshman at Skyline who shared her opinion.
“I feel like as long as we’re working towards fitting modern teenagers and their needs more, with all the different types of people and personalities—everybody learns differently, and everyone feels comfortable in different environments. So, I feel like if we work harder to try and accommodate all those different needs, then all the students as a whole can benefit from the different fixes and changes,” she said.
Students agree that Skyline is a great school to attend; however, the school, like any other, has some things that need to improve. Freshman Gwen Nielsen mentioned a few things that she struggles with or thinks the school could easily improve. She stated, “Skyline is obviously the place to be… Definitely the hardest part is the early mornings.”
Students often complain about starting so early in the day and ending so early in the day. The 7:30 am start has most students waking up an hour before school actually starts; most students, like Nielsen, have to consider the commute to school as well in their morning routine.
Nielsen said, in regards to the school day starting late on Fridays, “I’ve been more productive and friendly and awake. Makes me feel a lot better about myself which reflects on the way you work. I usually wake up every morning at 6 am.”
Not only do students feel like their early start is a challenge, but they also agree that the workload can tie in and can make the divide between school, sports, and personal time a lot to try and balance out. Quist said, “I struggle a lot with the workload; I know teachers give us the work to help us. Sometimes it can be very overwhelming, and sometimes it’s hard to find time with sports and other extracurricular activities.”
While students struggle with the early start and the workload, there are lots of other qualities to look at. Another example is the teachers and staff at the school. Most students report that teachers and staff are always kind, helpful, and caring towards students. “With all the teachers I’ve had so far, obviously teachers have good and bad days. I do think a lot of them are trying their best to educate students,” said Quist.
Most students agree that teachers are doing their best to teach students at Skyline. However, it’s also important to consider whether or not teachers are lining students up on a pathway to succeed and go far in life. Are teachers not just teaching the curriculum but preparing students for the next grade level and/or college? Quist said, “I feel like a lot of teachers, they give us a lot of work, but it’s for our best interest to get us prepared for our future.”
