As the new 2022-23 school year at Roswell began, so did many new changes and rules. There have been gates placed on bathrooms, alarms on doors, a bathroom policy put in place, and the school doors now open at a new time.  

For the three years I have attended Roswell High School, the doors have always opened for help sessions, breakfast, and teacher-student meetings at 7:30 am, which is exactly 50 minutes until the first period bell rings at 8:20 a.m. Now, under new administration, the doors open at 7:50 a.m. which is only 30 minutes until the 8:20 bell rings. As a student, I don’t quite understand how 30 minutes is a reasonable time to complete help sessions, breakfast, and any sort of meetings efficiently. 

 I asked math teacher Mr. Derrick Burton about his opinion on the new door opening policy. I reached out to Mr. Burton because math teachers, especially at Roswell, tend to have the most students before school sessions with students. I asked Mr. Burton a range of questions about how he feels about the policy. 

Burton responded, “Having to run down to let a student in the building is a minor inconvenience. It has not affected my ability to get work done in any meaningful way.”  

When talking about ways Mr. Burton has been able to move around the 7:50 am opening time, he said, “I have students message me on Remind when they are at the math hall door. Then I go and let them in so they can attend a help session or make up a test.” 

Many teachers have been able to adjust to these new rules, although I don’t believe teachers and students should have to go out of their way to attend a help session, makeup a test, or meet with a teacher.  

Personally, I haven’t attended any help session this school year, so I haven’t been able to experience firsthand any minor inconveniences with the new door policy. Although, I have heard throughout the school how “annoying” and “unnecessary” it is.  

My freshman and sophomore year, I attended several help sessions for my various subjects. I believe 7:30 am was a reasonable time because I was able to finish a quiz or test that I needed to take, finish up a chemistry lab I wasn’t done with, or receive guidance from a teacher when I was struggling with material.  

When asked about the time issue, Mr. Burton explained, “I can only speak to the performance of my own students. Because I have a system to let them in, I don’t think their performance has been affected. Worst case scenario, a student ends up waiting outside for five minutes.” 

It’s good that a teacher doesn’t believe any performance is being affected, at least for his students, although I cannot get over the inconvenience and disturbance the door policy has brought upon students. 

I believe a proper student and teacher, especially administrators, can help resolve this problem for students and teachers, and come to a reasonable decision that satisfy the needs of students, teachers, and administration.