The education system is not immune to change. In fact, those school systems that have learned to adapt have proven to be successful. What institution is more important than the one responsible for educating our children and ensuring that they have a place in this ever-competitive environment?

The Suffolk Public School system has taken notice that the current educational model isn’t the same as it was 50 years ago. If that’s the case, then why not make some modifications to provide a better scenario for everyone involved? That’s just what SPS has proposed. The school system has included in its comprehensive plan the goal of examining alternate schedules, a step administrators believe could benefit students.

The proposal calls for block scheduling, also known as a 4X4 school year. Under the proposed schedule, students would take four classes each semester, providing them several key advantages, including more time to prepare for each class, longer blocks of uninterrupted time for instruction and the ability to repeat failed courses without attending summer school. Perhaps the greatest advantage of the proposed change would be that students would have more enrollment opportunities in dual credit college courses.

Change is difficult to swallow but should never be feared. The new proposal provides a better learning structure with long-lasting benefits. Considering that other school systems have proven track records under the block-scheduling program, the benefits of making alterations to the current model outweigh not doing anything at all.