Forum for student expression since 1977

The Patriot Press

Forum for student expression since 1977

The Patriot Press

Forum for student expression since 1977

The Patriot Press

UPDATES

School Delayed in response to COVID-19 until April 24

 

Spring Sports seasons delayed

 

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Patriot power saves our schedule

One of the goals of public high school is to teach students how to express their opinions and speak out for what they believe is right. The Liberty community has demonstrated that they understand this lesson wholeheartedly by taking action in response to the formerly proposed schedule change.

With our Facebook groups, emails to the school board, student petitions, and participation in school board meetings, we have made our voice heard: the majority of the population at Liberty wants to keep the block schedule.

It’s easy to see why. The block schedule allows us to have longer, more in-depth classes, gives us an opportunity to take a wide variety of electives, and is similar to the type of schedule we will encounter in college.

Even when there were rumors that Liberty would undoubtedly have only six periods, and some people began to say “we should just give up,” or “they’ll force us to change our schedule anyways,” or “it’s hopeless,” we kept fighting, confident that our passion and hard work would eventually pay off. Thank you especially to the parents and students who delivered heartfelt speeches at school board meetings, and to the committee of teachers who dedicated their free time researching and proposing an optimal schedule for Liberty.

We have successfully proven that Liberty, despite being smaller than Issaquah and Skyline, refuses to be pushed around by the school district, and has a voice that deserves to be heard.

Because of the action we took, the Issaquah Press published articles to cover the schedule change controversy, parents expressed their outrage at the possibility of a six-period schedule, and the school board eventually decided to take the power of making the schedule change decision away from the superintendent and vote on the decision themselves. At a meeting on Dec. 12, the school board voted four to one to keep the eight-period schedule that has benefitted us for so long, ensuring that future students will reap the benefits of the block schedule as well.

If Liberty students, staff, parents, and community members had not taken the time to make their voices heard, the outcome might have been much different. This is a victory we’ve brought upon ourselves, and we should all be proud.