By Sana Yousuf, Staff Writer
Students and teachers were left in shock on March 22 after the Howard County Board of Education announced during their meeting that all schools in the county would be required to re-incorporate asynchronous Wednesdays into their weekly schedules starting next quarter. The decision was made in an effort to improve student’s academic performance and help to alleviate the heavy workload placed on the teachers and staff.
Asynchronous Wednesdays were originally introduced during virtual school in 2020, when students had to learn completely online due to the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic. Students were assigned their regular work which they completed through Canvas, however, there were no Google Meets for them to attend, hence being an “asynchronous” day. The new policy implemented by Howard County essentially entails the same idea, but instead of no google meetings, there will be no in person school.
This decision has brought forth both positive and negative feedback from members of the Howard County School System. Those in favor of the decision argued that it will ultimately benefit the learning experience for students. A River Hill administrator supports this claim, stating that “By having students work from home on Wednesdays, we are able to eliminate distractions such as talking with friends.” By completing schoolwork at home, it is ensured that students are working productively in a distraction-free environment!”
Several teachers have also expressed support for the county’s decision for reasons including convenience and relaxation. Many teachers are eager to take advantage of their new day off. One teacher states that “The new asynchronous rule is great! Now, all I have to do is assign students their work on Tuesday and then I can have the day off on Wednesday.”
Many students were similarly elated by the news, as it entails a shorter work week. A senior furthers on this, stating that “If I’m working from home I probably won’t be getting any work done. The county is basically giving us a free day off every week.”
Despite all of the positive feedback the new decision has received, the announcement was also met with a fair share of negative criticism from students and parents alike.
Some students are concerned that asynchronous Wednesdays will lead to them being less productive, and have expressed concerns about not being able to get help that they need from teachers. One junior comments that “If we go asynchronous on Wednesdays, we won’t have Hawktime anymore. How am I supposed to get help on my assignments if I can’t visit my teachers?”
Much of the outrage about the new schedule stems from parents being concerned that students will most likely not focus on their schoolwork at home. Many parents have organized protests and riots outside of the Howard County Board of Education Office in an attempt to bring back the original schedule, and have even gone to extreme measures including threatening to move their families to Montgomery County or homeschool their kids if nothing changes.
Only time will tell whether or not this new schedule will truly help students improve their academic performance and give teachers the break that they deserve. For now, students will continue to go about their regular five-day schedule until the fourth quarter begins.