A GAME OF MONOPOLY

Published in Uncaged, May 2024

Landing on the right opportunities in school

The access to a well-rounded education is something all parents want for their children.

“I decided to enroll my children in Stockbridge because at the time there were a few very strong academic classes in the school which showed me it was the right school for my kids,” Spanish teacher Christina Villegas said.

Villegas isn’t the only staff member that enrolls their children in the school district. When it comes to picking a school for your children many things are considered such as the courses they will be enrolled in, the activities they offer and the school’s assistance programs for some low-income families.

Education

Although education is viewed as the most important part of adolescent development, many studies show that education in the United States has significantly dropped in the past 20 years. According to American Progress, only two states align with the coursework required to receive a high school diploma that is up to public university standards, and Michigan isn’t one of them. With this statistic, the education system would seem concerning for most parents. However, the school’s spending and budget information is located on its website as a way of allowing complete transparency within the community as well as individuals such as these concerned parents.

Another thing that our school has done recently was switching from the four blocks to the six blocks schedule. This changed the core classes to be taken for the entire year instead of for just a semester. This allows more in-depth “learning” with more class time. This also allows both the Junior and Senior High to be on the same schedule which allows teachers to sub for others when they are on their planning. This keeps both sections of the school combined and more like a community. Along with this, there has been a change in the class options since the block structure has changed. So, although the school lose classes such as wildlife biology, astronomy and debate, others will take their place including two new languages, French and German, and a personal finance class that is now state mandatory. The school has also purchased a whole new math curriculum for kindergarten through grade 12.

“I have talked with teachers like Mrs. Stricklin and Ms. Doering about what would best for the students in the following year,” Curriculum Director Amy Hodgson said. “Things will just naturally continue to get better and better because you’ve got good people here.”

Community betterment

Once a month, the students have a half day. This allows the teachers to partake in the Professional Learning Community run by Principals Jeff Trapp and Assistant Principal Derek Douglas, who take time each half day to help the teachers learn more about improving their class content along with what will better benefit the students.

“My main focus right now is assessment and the assessment process. Our professional development days allow for me to help teachers understand what is needed to grow the students’ knowledge,” Trapp said. The building isn’t the only place where students can expand their knowledge and interests. They are also able to participate in the Wilson Talent Center and dual enrollment provided by LCC which gives students a head start on pursuing their passions after high school. This also allows them to receive free college credit while still in high school.

Senior Taylor Lockhart is one of the many students who took the opportunities offered with dual enrollment. She decided to first enroll in college classes her junior year and followed her senior year. “Dual enrollment has greatly benefited me as a student and my education as a whole because it has allowed me to not only earn high school credit but also college credit as well. I will already be receiving my associates degree from Lansing Community College when I graduate high school,” Lockhart said. Lockhart’s willingness to follow her dreams and passions has led her to an early head start in the career she wants to pursue which is what the school wants for all its students.

“All of these opportunities are what we would love for students to have and feel that there’s an option that allows them to get a head start on what they want to do after they graduate,” Hodgson said.