School change raises more questions

The Cedar Rapids School District is in the process of moving from a trimester school year to a semester-based school year. Cedar Rapids has been using the trimester system for more than 30 years. The article (“Cedar Rapids schools to drop trimesters,” March 25) mentioned four specific reasons for this change, according to administrators. All four reasons mentioned as problems needing to be rectified have been no less true for the 30-plus years the system has been in place. Why is now the time to change?

Teachers in the district expressed concerns as to how this change will affect student elective choices, class sizes and teacher numbers. These concerns may or may not be valid and probably could not be addressed fully in the article without more information.

But do not believe for a minute that the answers to the teachers' concerns aren't already known by the administrators of the district. That ishe kind of information they are trained and paid to know.

There are specific reasons why the district is moving to another form of instructional delivery and it would be good to know what they are. Perhaps we will have to wait until the change is made and then ask: Are there more or fewer student course choices? Are there more or fewer students in each classroom? Are there more or fewer teachers at the high schools? The results will reflect the desires of the district in making this change at this time.

Gary Warner

Cedar Rapids