Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the 4 By 4 Schedule topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents and students urge Stamford Board of Education to pause 4-by-4 high‑school schedule
Summary
Dozens of parents, students and teachers urged the Stamford Board of Education to reconsider a newly approved 4‑by‑4 flexible high‑school schedule, saying the change was rushed, lacks data and risks widening learning gaps—especially for lower‑income and special‑needs students.
Dozens of parents and students used the public‑comment period at the Stamford Board of Education meeting to urge the board to pause or reverse a recently approved 4‑by‑4 flexible high‑school schedule.
"I'm here tonight to voice my opposition to the 4 by 4 high school flexible schedule approved in last week's meeting," Teresa Cassidy, a parent of two AITE freshmen, told the board. Cassidy said the district provided no clear problem statement, insufficient evidence and limited opportunity for stakeholder input before the change was implemented.
The critics framed their concerns around three core themes: academic retention, equity and lack of transparency. "This isn't just theoretical, it's a guarantee that learning gaps will widen, especially for those students who can least afford it," said Shira Narenberg, a parent of a 10th grader at AITE, citing national research on summer learning loss and the benefits of spaced practice over massed instruction.
Students and parents described the change as rushed. "We got an email at the end of October saying that this was a proposal, and then without anyone knowing, it's now in effect," said Christina Acossella, a parent. Several speakers said the district had allowed only brief opportunities for questions at school‑level presentations and had not provided districtwide outreach or sufficient data for review.
Multiple commenters argued the schedule would hurt students who need time to process material, could exacerbate inequities, and would demand outside consultants to make the logistics work. "The AITE AB schedule has worked for 20 years," Melissa Grover, a parent, said. "Any argument that the new system might benefit graduation rates doesn't seem to be backed by any kind of data."
Student testimony also emphasized classroom-level impacts. Krista Karwoski, who identified herself as an 8th grader, urged the board to look at early‑grade supports and broader systemic issues rather than rely on a single scheduling change to improve graduation rates.
The board did not take a vote on the schedule during the meeting; the public‑comment period preceded routine business, including approval of the consent agenda and a separate resolution on 2025 meeting dates. Several parents asked the board to postpone implementation, provide comparative outcomes and convene meaningful stakeholder review before moving forward.
What happens next: The board moved on to other agenda items (consent agenda and calendar votes) during the meeting; no formal action on the schedule was recorded in the meeting minutes provided.
