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Moriarty High principal proposes A/B block schedule to lengthen instruction and expand pathways
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Summary
Moriarty High School principal Natalie Romero presented a proposal to move to an A/B block schedule (85-minute periods on alternating days, with shorter Wednesdays) to increase instructional time and make room for interventions, dual-credit and CTE pathways; staff survey results reported strong support and board members pressed for details on attendance, special-education supports and staffing.
Principal Natalie Romero told the board March 17 that the high school is considering an A/B block schedule to gain more instructional time and create space for targeted interventions.
"We are in the single digits proficiency for math," Romero said as she described the district's motivation to change the daily schedule. The proposal would convert current 48-minute periods into 85-minute blocks on alternating A and B days, keep a shorter period day on Wednesdays, and add an eighth period called Pinto Pathway to expand elective and pathway options.
Romero said the proposal emerged after a guiding-coalition review, multiple staff meetings and a staff survey: "as of today, I spoke to every certified teaching staff member...we were at 95.2% in favor and 99% in favor with general education classroom teachers." She described expected benefits: deeper instruction, more time for small-group intervention within an 85-minute block, additional opportunities for dual credit and internships, and fewer daily transitions for students (about 10 transitions down to roughly five).
Board members and parents raised concerns in a lengthy Q&A: how long-term substitute coverage would work in a longer-period model; whether students who miss a day (and therefore miss longer blocks) would regress; impacts on music and arts classes that benefit from daily practice; and how the schedule will integrate IEPs and special-education services. Romero and presenters said the rollout plan includes professional development tied to Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC), contract work with AAIS, and consultant support (Tom Herrick) to train teachers in new instructional shifts, classroom management and 25-minute instructional "shifts" within the 85-minute block.
Support staff noted the A/B model was selected over a 4x4 semester model to avoid adding staffing costs; leaders said the A/B model does not require new teacher hires, while a 4x4 would. The administration also discussed athletics scheduling and early dismissal impacts and said they modeled typical early-dismissal times to reduce class time lost for student-athletes.
What happens next: the presentation closed to questions and the administration said it will continue refining the plan, provide more family engagement, and incorporate feedback on electives priority and student supports before any final board decision.
