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Woodhaven High School had been using paper passes for students who needed to leave the classroom for various reasons, such as using the bathroom, getting snacks from vending machines, seeking help from other teachers, or going to the office. However, this has caused some students to spend their entire class time outside the classroom, which has become a big problem.
Recently Principal Jay Vesperman implemented a new system called SmartPass to address the issue of students hanging out in the hallways during class time. SmartPass is a digital pass system that replaces paper passes. With SmartPass, students can create their passes at any time. Once created, students can schedule their pass, which requires teacher approval before leaving the classroom. In addition, SmartPass keeps track of the student’s location and sets a limited time for their pass to ensure they return to class on time.
It’s essential to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of the SmartPass system. Teachers can monitor students’ location and prevent them from wasting class time. SmartPass allows students to leave class without disrupting it and reduces complaints about crowded bathrooms. However, it’s time-consuming and may make students miss class time. Traditional paper passes are quicker.
Junior Zaynab Buzzy stated, “The SmartPass wastes class time logging on to my Chromebook to create a pass, then having it approved by a teacher. In many of my classes, I do not need to use my Chromebook (such as art and math). A trip to the vending machine, bathroom, etc can be very quick and take minutes, but using a SmartPass it ends up taking much longer. Without SmartPass, I can quickly ask my teacher to leave the class for some reason, go, and then come back and get to work.” In addition, the implementation of this system across the entire school may seem unfair to some, as only needed due to the actions of a few uncooperative students.
After the implementation of the new pass system at WHS, all the students were asked to review it. The reviews were mixed, with most not liking it because it is new to them and few liked it. Senior Quinn Perecki says, “The SmartPass has kept the classes quieter which helped me stay focused, less people speaking out loud asking for passes.”
The following is a perspective on the SmartPass system from the teachers at WHS. Teachers replied that fewer students are asking to leave less frequently, the system itself is a distraction, students get monitored for frequency and trends of pass use as well as having more accountability for returning to class promptly and passes are also tracked school-wide so we can see who abuses their pass privilege. Assistant Principal Dawn Izzi, said, “This limits the time that students spend outside of a classroom unsupervised and safety monitors can also see who should be on a pass and who should be in a class. Missed instructional time has compounding negative effects, and any effort to increase the amount of time students spend receiving instruction is a win.”
SmartPass has some great features and some that need improvement. It will take some time to get used to a new system, so it’s important to be patient and understanding with everyone as they adjust.
