This article documents how Albemarle County children’s learning has suffered from the school division’s experiments with unproven teaching methods. The division now eyes another change that would reduce learning for thousands of county children: decreasing the number of classes children take in high school.

Currently, children in Grades 10 through 12 have the opportunity to take up to eight classes per semester. The administration’s new “7+1” plan would eliminate one class and replace it with non-academic time. The non-academic time, the administration says, would resemble Freshman Seminar, an unpopular, mandatory schedule block “focused on relationship building and meeting the social-emotional and career development needs of students.” In an administration survey last year, a large majority of students said such a seminar is not very important to them.

Why would a school division intentionally cut learning? Mental health, says the administration. The plan’s goal is to “ensure that academic time demands placed on students allow them adequate time to pursue their personal interests, including enrichment activities, life-long learning and career goals.” In short, personal time in place of academic time.  

The mental health crisis of high school children indeed warrants attention. Well-considered efforts to help should be applauded. But does protecting children’s mental health require reducing their learning? Is there evidence this is necessary, or will even help? What if a reduction in structured learning might make some children’s mental health worse?

In the administration’s survey, more than half of students said a 7+1 plan would not improve academic mental health, with 17.2% saying it would make mental health worse. 15.8% of students, meanwhile, said the plan would improve academic mental health a lot. If a portion of students feel their mental health would benefit from a reduced courseload, the administration could explore ways to achieve that. But, why cut learning for all children, especially those who don’t want their learning cut?

Beyond the plan’s intended reduction in learning, 7+1 would also harm children in other ways, too, the administration has acknowledged. Below is a slide from a presentation the administration has used to advocate its 7+1 plan to schools.

In the slide, the administration admits that its plan would grow class sizes and reduce students’ course options. Students would be forced to forego classes that their current schedule allows them to take. The student-teacher ratio would grow. Learning would suffer.

Recent years have seen growing concerns about the decline of children’s learning in county schools. Amidst that decline, the administration plans to cut learning even more.

Community members with questions about the administration’s plan may contact their Board member. 

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