It’ s the Five Year Countdown by John Olsen & Dalya Laban design by Loukas Bezanis
D86 works on Year 1 in a 5 year plan to improve and align Central and South, starting with science curriculum equity.
Photo by Sofija Buzelis
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Seniors Jessica Joy and Scott Pitts experiment during AP Environmental Science.
fter the School Board approved the recommended changes to the science sequencing at Central in October 2019, an immense amount of feedback from the community followed. Parents expressed their opinions and views through a variety of outlets, including Facebook groups, online petitions, and emailing Board and Administration members directly. Many students at Central also posted links to a petition opposing these changes on social media, while others expressed their support for the changes. “The lack of transparency and suddenness of this overhaul has poor optics and should be reconsidered,” a user on the Change.org petition wrote. “Please slow down the changes to the HC and HS science programs.” Despite the pushback from some parents and students, District 86 will continue to follow these changes, and plans to apply them for the 2021-2022 school year. Julie May, Science Department Chair at Central, said that the new science sequence at Central will bring hopes for the future of students’ college education as well as their jobs. “I’m hoping that [students] walk out of here with a real appreciation for science, maybe even more than what they had before,” May said. However, the changes to the science sequencing are only a small part of a much larger plan to improve the learning Features | 13
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