HERO period remains a hot topic

By Kemari Thomas

Opinions Reporter

The HERO period, which stands for Help, Encouragement, Resource, and Support, was designed to give students extra help in subjects like math and reading and provide AP students with additional support. However, opinions about its effectiveness are different among students and staff.

Safee Shaheed works on his Chromebook during class. Photo by Amya Wilson.

According to Mrs. Godbout, one of the teachers involved in HERO’s creation, the goal was to offer students a chance to gain more skills and knowledge. 

“When we first planned HERO, we saw it as a time for students who were not in the supports mentioned to get a curriculum around topics that we don’t usually have time for in regular classes,” said Mrs. Godbout. She emphasized the crucial skills in areas like career education, financial literacy, and emotional literacy, as well as offering support in reading for underclassmen.

Despite its well-intended design, some teachers feel the period isn’t reaching its potential. Mr. Fitzgerald expressed that while the concept for HERO is strong, its execution leaves much to be desired. 

“In theory, HERO is a great idea, but we haven’t executed that idea in a manner that generates students’ success,” he explained. He believes that the period would be more effective if students had more freedom to choose which subjects they need help in. “There needs to be a student choice component to help make this program successful,” Fitzgerald said.

There is mixed feedback regarding the period’s impact on students. Student Emely Ortiz expressed that HERO can become overwhelming.

 “I feel like there is too much work, and along with the other classes, it can just pile up,” she said. 

On the other hand, teachers feel that ‘too much work’ can be different depending on one’s opinion of what it means. 

“If HERO is being used as an AP support- that work would correlate with student success in their AP classes, ( If they put in the work and effort during AP class, then the amount asked of them during hero wouldn’t be as much).  In regards to some of the other hero classes- I do not believe the curriculum is asking too much,” said Mr. Fitzgerld.

While HERO has positively impacted students, the majority don’t seem to be benefiting as expected. 

“It’s helped improve AP scores, but for the vast majority of the students, I do not see much of an impact,” Fitzgerald said. 

Meanwhile, Ms. Godbout acknowledges that while some students have gained skills, not all teachers fully implement the planned curriculum, leading to inconsistent results.

As HERO continues to evolve, it’s clear that finding the right balance between support, structure, and helping students’ ability to learn will be key to its success.