With the start of every new school year comes new rules and procedures that the administration feel can help the students and faculty perform to their fullest potentials. Among the many new policies implemented at Wakefield High School this year, Pride Time is by far the most controversial topic among both students and teachers.

Pride Time, according to the Wakefield Student Parent Handbook, is an “intervention offered during the school day and is in place for all students.” It is specifically tailored to those who need help, and are struggling in certain classes. The guidelines of Pride Time state that any student who has below an eighty percent average in a class must report there on the designated day for that specific class to attend Pride Time. This is a thirty minute block of time between second and third period. For students who this does not apply to, it is required to go to either the gym, media center, or cafeteria during that time.

The issues that Pride Time is based off of are definitely important, and need to be addressed. Pride Time’s main purpose is to get students’ grades up, but those students who actually want to do that would already be attempting to contact their teachers in the first place. Those students who do not care about school and grades may not take advantage of Pride Time. Those who do not want to show up will not be afraid of getting written up for not attending. There is no possible way to get students who do not want to be engaged in learning to actually do work in class. It has also become clear that thirty minutes is not enough time to help every student, much less get anything done. By the time all of the students get settled down, and the teacher figures out what they are going to do, there is usually only fifteen minutes left of Pride Time.    

Pride Time is also somewhat confusing to those students who have been on campus for one to two years; let alone for those freshman and sophomores who had never been on the main campus until this year. Having Pride Time causes students to have to walk back and forth to their classes, ultimately ending in more tardies because the halls are so crowded.

Corralling students in the gym, media center, and cafeteria is not an easy feat, and it can’t possiblly be fun for teachers who have to do it instead of getting ready for their next class. Even though one of the responsibilities of students during Pride Time, as outlined in the Student Handbook, is to use their time wisely, most students who are not required to go to a classroom are not doing anything other than talking to friends, scrolling through Twitter or listening to music on their phones. It would definitely be surprising to see most students actually DOING schoolwork, although there are some students who do use this time wisely. For a school who wants to minimize cell phone use, why are students given thirty minutes of free time during the school day where they do not have anything other to do besides go on their phones? It just doesn’t make sense.

The ideas of Pride Time came from a good place in the hearts of administrators, as they want and are obligated to get as many students to graduate high school as possible. With that being said, Pride Time is not the best solution to that problem. A few years down the road, this idea might blossom into something that could actually help students, but at this moment in time, it just feels messy. There are too many students at this school for this to work and run smoothly. It would be better to get rid of Pride Time altogether and continue with SMART Lunch, which has worked in the past. It doesn’t mean that Pride Time could never be a positive for this school, but it does not seem as if it could be one for Wakefield High School, unless the administration and student body cooperate and find a way for it to thrive.