Our scheduling process provides an excellent example of both the flexibility and the options provided to students at Linworth. While our students must meet the graduation requirements established by the state and the district, we nevertheless attempt to create options for students in courses that will lead them to these requirements. Students may have five or six options to choose from in a school year. Students are provided some flexibility in scheduling here.

They need to pass two semesters of physical education, which are scheduled during the freshman and junior years at the home schools. They are counseled to schedule these classes early at Linworth, but may put them off until their junior year if their chosen courses of study call for that action. Students also actively help form and build the master schedule each semester through the choices they make.

Block Scheduling
Classes are offered in 1 hour 20 minute blocks on rotating days, giving teachers more time to teach, without cutting the lesson, and giving students more variety in their weekly schedule.

Democratic Scheduling
The placement of classes, such as what day and time they are offered, is decided during in-school meetings at the beginning of every school year. Students decide which classes they would like to take, and where those classes fit in their schedule, and vote for what day and time works best. Entry into classes is done in a “lottery” fashion by drawing and assigning random numbers to students. This gives all students equal chance in signing-up for more popular courses. The whole experience feels more like scheduling for college, rather than the normal “automatic assignment” which is dominant in today’s High Schools.

Original Classes
The staff of the Linworth Program has the freedom to design classes different than those offered at “normal” High Schools. Rather than the standard “English II” class, a class called “Utopian Literature” may be offered, focusing on books about Utopias and Disutopias, with a heavy basis on discussion. Instead of your everyday “Woodworking Class,” a student may be able to sign-up for “Canoeing,” which teaches not only the fundamentals of building a canoe, but also includes an off campus event to test your new creation.

Learn more on the Linworth website.