By Jackson Haines
Op-Ed Editor

New Advanced Placement classes, a focus on efficient teaching, and extracurricular encouragement are only part of the new Neshaminy High School Improvement plan. And it is that plan which has restored hope—hope that Neshaminy is no longer willing to lag behind its neighbors, instead it is now striving for a higher degree of excellence with a thought-out plan for the future.   

The plan, posted on the website by the Principal’s Office, at first seems disappointing. It includes five pleasing, yet rather vague steps to improve the school: “Consistent Implementation of effective instructional practices across all classrooms… promoting, enhancing and sustaining a shared vision of a positive and safe school culture and environment… ensuring students who are academically at risk are identified and supported via a system of academic interventions…ensure teachers and administrators meet regularly to analyze student progress and program effectiveness [and] maintaining and expanding a broad, rigorous and engaging set of course offerings.”  These five goals, though all great aims for achievement, are not the impressive part of the plan.

It was the smaller ideas for overcoming these broader “challenges” that portrayed an administration dedicated to improvement. Beneath each goal is a list of implementations and policies to support and achieve the aim; providing means to its ends, the school displayed its willingness to change for the better.

What is entailed in this plan? Well, most impressively, five new AP courses over the next two years– AP Spanish, French, chemistry, human geography, and art. Several new science courses may be developed and there’s even a possibility of two more AP’s, all though those two would be added later on. Changes are coming for students not considering AP’s as well; Algebra 1 and 2 will now be taken consecutively in an effort to improve learning efficiency, and Neshaminy will expand online course options. It seems that Neshaminy is playing some much needed catch up with its neighbors; this plan will only increase the school’s academic reputation.

But the plan goes beyond the walls of the classroom, as it now plans to expand the security measures of the school, developing smarter emergency plans, hiring a Head of Security– even building a kiosk in the main lobby.  The plan performs a balancing act, promoting security and safety while avoiding draconian measures. 

This plan also supports a school beautification program, a system to test the efficiency of teaching methods, and the plan to expand the number of clubs at Neshaminy.  This plan is all inclusive, it will simply make Neshaminy a better place.

Yet, it must be enforced. This document is idealistic and optimistic, but it must be followed strictly, truly, and efficiently if it is to work and become a document of realism.  The school has improved, yet there is farther to go. 

Council Rock North, continuously recognized for its academic excellence, offers 19 AP courses. Neshaminy currently offers 12, but after adding five, and perhaps two more, our AP totals will rival that of the Council Rock School District. The plan to to test classroom efficiency will ensure, or at least try to ensure, that every student is receiving a sound education. Neshaminy under this plan would gradually put itself higher up on the map of academic excellence, it is no longer content to remain ranked 76th in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area (as ranked by Philadelphia Magazine.)

This plan, in part, could improve Neshaminy greatly. It may not fix all of the school’s problems, but it most certainly is a job well-done. While we may not know the full extent of improvement the school will see, this “New Neshaminy” we graduate from will be better, safer, and more academically and aesthetically pleasing than the one in which we started.