WATSONVILLE—During the summer, Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials plan to meet at the bargaining table with the district’s teachers union in hopes of hammering out an agreement that would create a 7-period day at Pajaro Valley High School.
A majority of teachers at the school voted in favor of the change on March 23, and the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers (PVFT) submitted a demand to bargain the next day.
But a March 28 letter to union members signed by PVUSD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Alison Niizawa and PVFT President Nelly Vaquera-Boggs stated that the shift would not be possible this school year, given the late date and difficulty in changing the master schedule and hiring the necessary teachers.
Both sides agree the shift from a 6-period day would give students more opportunities to take classes they want, including the A-G courses needed for entry into the UC and CSU systems.
Shorter class times are also easier for many young people to digest, officials say, and help busy students free up their schedules to allow them to take electives.
Adding more classes to the schedule is also a way for students who are falling behind to make up credits.
PVHS history teacher Micah Powell says that the school has been trying for years to adopt a 7-period schedule, a shift he says has become especially relevant after the yearlong bout of distance learning brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s been a tough year and we were looking for ways to offer more to our students,” he says. “We thought the 7-period schedule would give us that opportunity.”
Vaquera-Boggs acknowledges that making the shift would be a heavy lift, but says the teachers were hoping to make it happen this year.
“It’s very complex and also full of emotion because the intent was for the teachers to work on a schedule that the students wanted,” she said.
Vaquera-Boggs points out that Aptos High School adopted a 7-period day in 2017, and that the PVHS teachers want no less than that opportunity.
“There is the feeling of, ‘why can’t you now invest the added dollars in this school here in Watsonville,’” she said.
Powell says that the frustration of the teachers in not being able to make the change this year is compounded by PVHS’ unique history. Just last year, the school cut the ribbon at its new athletic field, 17 years after the school opened.
“We’re a school that traditionally has had a lack of things that other schools have,” he said. “We still don’t have an auditorium, we don’t have a pool … A lot of people felt like this is just one more in a long string of things. We’re kind of like the neglected school in the district.”
PVUSD Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez says that the district is willing to move forward on the issue in August.
In making the change, she adds, the district must consider a variety of issues including the contractual minutes, changing working conditions and hiring additional teachers.
“I do believe the 7-period day, when implemented well, really builds toward the vision of equity for our students,” Rodriguez said. “I think it gives greater flexibility, equal instructional minutes but with greater variety and access to programs.”
