On Sept. 24, the San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees examined a proposal for Wednesday classes to be asynchronous. Asynchronous Wednesdays would mean that classes are offline, and students are expected to complete assigned work during school hours away from synchronous Zoom classes. SMUHSD students signed a petition, created by the Unified Associated Student Body in September, proposing that all Wednesday classes be asynchronous, which garnered over 2,300 signatures. Some students feel that this should be implemented because Wednesday class periods are too short for meaningful instruction and online learning has proven fatiguing.
During the board meeting, UASB student board members shared their perspectives. Capuchino High School senior and UASB representative Jessica Sharma outlined common issues students face in the wake of online learning.
“Students throughout the district reported suffering from constant headaches, sluggishness and a sense of dread from the rigorous hours they spend in front of computers,” Sharma said.
One factor the board considered in the two weeks following the initial meeting was the required number of weekly instructional hours. Having asynchronous days would decrease the current number of instructional hours per week. The board expressed that there is no perfect substitute for instructional hours.
“Having that independence and power to make my own schedule is great”
The week of Oct. 4, teachers across the district voted on the Wednesday schedule. In a districtwide message on Oct. 6, Superintendent Kevin Skelly explained that on Oct. 14 and 28 teachers will have the choice to conduct virtual classes or go through with asynchronous classes. If classes are to be offline, students will be assigned work, and teachers will be available if help is needed.
Senior Janelle Soriano supports this proposal.
“I have college things that take up a lot of my time, so my schedule is packed with unfinished classwork as well as homework,” Soriano said. “Having that independence and power to make my own schedule is great.”
Dance and Health Teacher Elke Calvert-Rios appreciates the synchronous Wednesday schedule because it gives her the option to teach.
“They’re really short classes, but I still have time to review content … that you might not be able to do on your block days,” Calvert-Rios said.
Calvert-Rios also believes asynchronous Wednesdays may be advantageous to students’ mental health.
“I think it’ll help them feel less stressed because they will have a day for catch-up,” Calvert-Rios said. “However, I don’t know if all students will use it for that purpose.”
For freshman Adele Hsu, asynchronous days would give her time off of technology.
“It’s really good to have a break from the screen,” Hsu said. “We’re on the computer about seven hours a day.”
At the Oct. 8 board meeting, the results of a recent Panorama survey were shared. Half of the survey participants reported preferring online classes. The board will wait until they receive feedback from teachers on how engaged and productive their students were to decide whether asynchronous classes will become permanent.
