The school day is long: nine periods, countless assignments, and the rapid switching of classes every forty minutes, leaving students exhausted by its end. In all those classes and the four years I’ve been at Hendrick Hudson, I’ve learned tons. AP Calculus BC, the periodic table, research papers, Socratic seminars, presentation skills, and the location of nearly every country in the world. Ask me to open and format a Google Sheet, however, and I’m completely lost. 

There is clearly an issue with that statement. Not being able to use spreadsheet software (whether it be Google Sheets or Excel), yet being able to solve derivatives in seconds, is the perfect representation of an emerging disconnect in education. As we’ve begun to use more technology in schools – something that could have been a major benefit – we’ve struggled to keep up, and thus have not only lessened the efficacy of the average classroom, but disadvantaged students poised to enter the workforce or collegiate atmosphere. 

Sticking with the Google Sheets and Excel example, I feel confident in my ability to self-navigate several technology interfaces, but sometimes, instruction matters. The smaller, specific secrets can maximize efficiency exponentially, yet I’ve never received thorough instruction. The closest I’ve come is in AP Chemistry, when learning how to input graphing data. But that’s not AP Chemistry’s problem: AP Chemistry is for learning advanced chemistry and passing the AP in May. The lack of class to support something so widespread — a Forrester Research study found that 81% of businesses use Excel today — is a major shortcoming of not only Hendrick Hudson, but schools across the country. 

Luckily, Hendrick Hudson is attempting to find a solution: the PLAN Pilot program.  I’m in favor of our district’s adoption of the PLAN Pilot program: “Performance-Based Learning Assessments (PBLA) to better prepare students for college, careers, and civic engagement, potentially including aspects like career and technical education, inquiry-based learning, and project-based learning.” 

The program is great, in theory. The school needs to be smart with the program’s implementation. There’s a difficult balance to find here. How should the school implement courses that are useful, but that students will actually enroll in? The issue at the high school is the AP courses: if students are high-achieving and looking down the road at college, they are going to opt for the AP World History course over the unweighted, regular-level course teaching topics like basic economics, technology usage, and how to file taxes.

There used to be classes aimed at sending students off into the world, with the most notable example Home and Careers, or Home-Ec. The days of sewing and baking, however, are long gone and receive criticism for reinforcing traditionalist values. Instead, technology is our new Home and Careers, and we need to adapt to what is best for students. Frankly, I’m not an administrator who will have the right solution to this, but I can say with confidence that the implementation of any programs – PLAN Pilot or not – needs to be deliberate and detailed. As a senior, I don’t have any stake in this decision, but for the sake of future Hendrick Hudson students, let’s equip them with the necessary tools to succeed far beyond the hallways of this school.