Whether due to stopping by Jazzman’s for a cookie, taking an impromptu bathroom break, or simply getting lost, being late to class has always been a regular occurrence. This year, however, the school is cracking down on the issue.
While several policies from previous years, like teachers requiring office hours and social probation, remain the same, the deans are implementing a new consequence: students may be barred from making up formative work in the event of a tardy.
“If there’s formative work that you [missed beforehand], you would not be able to make up that work for credit [if you were tardy],” Jessica Landergott, student dean, said. “That doesn’t mean that a teacher couldn’t still require you to do that work, but you won’t get credit for that work.”
Landergott says that policies such as these are mainly targeted towards “people who are missing 10 [to] 15 minutes” of class. Ultimately, it is up to the teacher to decide what students can or cannot make up when they are tardy.
Joe May, English teacher, says that he believes the new policy is to prevent repeated tardiness that can affect other students’ learning.
“I always addressed tardies primarily on an individual basis [by] talking to the student. [It’s] when it becomes a distraction to the class that I really get involved in addressing [tardiness],” May said. “I mean, [it] isn’t like you are tardy one time and then all of a sudden you aren’t not getting credit for something. I don’t think [that is] what the heart of the policy is.”
May is still uncertain about the policy, however, saying that “we have not really found the perfect solution [to tardiness yet].”
“Hopefully, [the policy] will [deter tardiness], but seeing as it is brand new, I am not positive,” May said. “[It] does not seem like there had been much of a change with some other, similar policies that were implemented in the past.”
Despite the skepticism that May has towards the effectiveness of the policy, Landergott is still hoping to see some kind of improvement as a result of the new tardiness policies.
“My goal is that students are in class during instructional minutes and [they are] not missing out,” Landergott said. “I always tell people it’s easier to stay on track than it is to fall behind.”
Landergott adds that the deans are open to discussion regarding the policy and willing to take into consideration any changes students think will benefit the student body.
