The administration and teacher leaders have been considering a proposal that would increase Cougar Time to four times a week.
Currently, students failing more than one course are allowed the freedom to choose which CT to attend. Such students often choose a core class and never get the help needed in their other course.
Those in favor of the new plan want students to have equal access to CT sessions for all four periods. Under the new proposal, students with less than an A or B would attend first period CT on Monday, second period on Tuesday, etc.
What is also not clear is the schedule.
One plan has students transition after first period to the CT session for that day. The other plan rotates the periods. For example, Tuesday would be second period, CT, third, fourth, first.
Assistant Principal Candis Jones feels there is a need for more remediation and enrichment time.
“When you ask me about four times a week versus two times a week, I don’t have the magic formula as to how many times a week we need to have academic enrichment remediation,” Jones said. “But I know that it needs to be there, only because all students learn in a very different format.”
Some teachers are not for the new schedule at all, claiming that it is not going to change anything.
“I don’t personally believe that going to Cougar Time four times a week is going to change what’s going on. Those who come to Cougar Time will come anyway on the two days. If they’re not coming to the two days, they’re not going to go on the four days,” Heather Mote, math teacher said.
Math teacher Vesta Surles feels that keeping CT two times a week is better to not lose any instructional time.
“The biggest disadvantage would probably be a new schedule every day on top of the other schedules we have and it’s just confusing,” Surles said.
Other teachers, however, are completely for the new schedule.
“I would prefer the four times. There’s a lot of logistics students don’t realize. For the two times, reports have to be run, arm bands have to be sorted out then have to be written on and a lot of coverage has to be done,” Social Studies teacher Robbin Faulkner said. “Four times a week, you keep who you need to keep, and you let go who you can let go. Four times a week is logistically easier.”
If the periods rotate, the goal is for lunches to remain the same.
“We want to make sure that, whatever schedule we set, whatever interventions we intend to utilize for Cougar Time, whether it’s going to be twice a week or once every day, that the lunch time stays the same,” Jones said.
The new CT schedule is mainly for safety, which is why Smart Lunch is no longer used. CT does not affect

safety, which is why Smart Lunch is no longer used. CT does not affect lunch, whereas all students had lunch the same time under Smart Lunch, causing supervision and security concerns.
“It’s one of the major reasons, not because we didn’t want people to receive the help, not because we didn’t want seniors and juniors not being able to have an hour worth of lunch,” Jones said. “But mostly for safety and security of the students that were on campus.”
Since CT is only set to be four days, Friday does not have a plan yet.
One idea is to have a sort of academic advisement where students could go and see their counselors or get any sort of information that they need, without having to worry about a whole new schedule.
The new CT schedule is not a definite deal. The faculty is still in the discussion stages, and the School Improvement Committee is still seeking feedback.
But the plan is definitely something to be paying attention to in the near future.
Jones said, “There are pros and cons to it. The con to it, of course, all the time be taking away from class time, but in actuality, we’re getting the class time back just in a different format. You’re able to help, or advance those students who need it the most.”