New policies are always being created and updated, especially in schools, to better help the development of the students and prepare them for the world after high school. Manitou Springs High School recently created new policies after a year of discussion with the faculty. 

Getting a universal set of policies across all classes was difficult, taking many days and months of deliberate work alongside all departments and staff. “The late work and the retake policy started last school year. There was a group of teachers, including myself, that participated in the Colorado Department of Education, best practices and high school grading cohort,” Interim Principal Anna Conrad said. “We came up with some potential ideas and then brought it to our building leadership team, which combines teachers and staff members across every department here.”

Some teachers saw this as a needed change, but primarily math teachers knew the added benefit of an updated late work policy. These math teachers have more to be affected by policies, such as late work and the retaking of tests. “The building leadership team put together a late work policy that set some standards across the school but also left a little bit of teacher autonomy,” math teacher and building leadership team member, Reginald Hass said. 

Though not all teachers need an adjustment in their grading style, they also believe this new policy will benefit the students of MSHS. “I’m a strong believer in trying to not get stuck in routines and see an experiment and try to do something,” art teacher Erin Gocinski said. “You know, if things don’t work out, that’s ok; but if they do, then that’s cool because you open yourself up to something that you wouldn’t have done before.”

With all teachers and classes now following these same policies, students now must learn and adjust to these standards, though most students are not worried. “I am not worried about the policies. I usually can get most of my work in on time, and it’s never really been a struggle,” Becket Wendell-Evans (9) said. “Though, if I do turn in my work late, I feel it is a fair deduction.”

Though these new policies are stricter on late work than past policies, students feel that these changes are fair and justified. “There are always a few students who do not turn in homework or do it,” Wendell-Evans said. “So, I feel this policy is going to kind of help that to not happen.”

These policies have a more influential effect on some students, like student-athletes and those with jobs. “I think it does put a little bit more pressure on student athletes because oftentimes, we’re getting home late from games or practices and stuff,” Nick Schneider (11) said. “Overall, I think it is a good change.”

Even student-athletes see this as a good change for the rest of the students at MSHS, as it allows and gives students a plan to follow in all classes, no matter how it affects them. “Yeah, I definitely think it will affect me going forward. I think it’ll make me kind of get my stuff in more on time,” Schneider said. “Because now I know that if I do turn it in late, it’s a guaranteed point reduction.”

Students were confused with all the different policies across all of their classes, as some could range from very relaxed to very strict. This policy seems to have solved that issue for students. “I think having a universal policy makes it a lot easier on the student to know, because trying to remember eight different teachers’ policies on how they do homework and how they do retakes is a little crazy,” Meghan Taylor (11) said. 

Students believed that these older policies didn’t work for their intended goal of preparing the students for life after high school and needed to change. “Once when I was speaking to an older friend of mine, she told me that she thought it was crazy that I could not retake a science test last year because she said when she was in college, they had a retake option always available,” Taylor said. “So, I think in the process of getting us ready for college, having that option for us is really important.”

Students and staff alike hope this policy will keep going strong, but if not, this policy does have ways of being revised. “If anyone has questions or has feedback, please know my door is always open. I would love to hear about that,” Conrad said. “I am just really grateful to have moved forward with this in partnership and excited to see it in action and continue to learn how we can all continue to make Manitou Springs High School a better place.”