In a radical change that will impact a decades-old program at Langley, Principal Ragone announced Tuesday morning that Humanities classes will no longer have a mandatory link.

“The link has always had opposition,” said Principal Ragone, in an interview with the Saxon Scope.

In the past, Humanities (English and history) courses were paired for freshmen, sophomores and juniors. Students were required to choose between taking two upper level classes or two regular classes.

Connecting the classes even further, the paired Humanities classes were team-taught, meaning that the corresponding English and history teachers worked together to coordinate test schedules, subject material and curriculums. In addition, students could expect to have both English and history with the same classmates.

The linked Humanities program has existed at Langley in various forms since the 1970s. With the new policy, which will go into effect next year, students will have the option of picking English and history classes separately instead of as a package deal, Principal Ragone said. In a Saxon Scope poll of 100 students, 93 said they favored delinking.

Those who opt to take the highest level combinations of classes (AP US History/AP English Language in 11th grade, AP World History/Honors English 10 in 10th grade, and Pre-AP World History/Honors English 9 in 9th grade), will still have their Humanities courses linked in the same way they have been in past years, Principal Ragone confirmed.

The decision for the new policy was finalized about two-and-a-half weeks after the Fairfax County School Board voted to implement five additional Humanities honors classes, in addition to the AP classes, “It was a main impetus for change,” said Principal Ragone in an interview with the Saxon Scope.

According to a Keep in Touch email sent out to parents this morning, having to accommodate all of the new honors courses into the link system “would create an imbalance in the master schedule, which would prevent many students from getting the classes they requested.”

Until last week, there had been no plans to de-link the Humanities courses. However, around that time, a parent with no children at Langley “began a rumor that Langley was creating a link in the Humanities as a way to circumvent the new honors program,” according to a Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)  source.

Although the rumor that Langley had created the link specifically to bypass the honors program was untrue, several other parents at the meeting protested the linked Humanities program on the grounds that it was giving students little choice and forcing them to take classes either too easy or too difficult, the source said.

While some parents are opposed to a de-linked program, many others in the Langley community are in favor of the change. “I think it is a good thing for students,” said one parent. “The kids who are struggling in higher level classes won’t continue to link.”

Students, who just became aware of the change this morning, weighed in as well. “It’s good because it fits your individual schedule. I’m good at English but not at history, so it will help me maintain a good grade,” said sophomore Taylor Lawrimore.

Others were happy to have more choices. “It will allow me to manage my time better,” added freshman Katie Robinson. “You won’t be pressured to take two honors courses, which can lead to people getting really overwhelmed.”

A Saxon Scope survey of 100 students revealed that 93 are in favor of the de-linking, and only 7 are opposed to it.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ragone and many of the Humanities teachers have made it explicitly clear that they are not in favor of the measures they now have to adopt.

“I think that linked Humanities have been one of the most successful programs in Fairfax County history,” said Mr. Ragone. “They have prepared students for college so well. While giving students choice sounds like a good idea, forcing them to choose was actually helpful and destressing.”

English teacher Kevin Howard has stated that when taken together, higher-level Humanities classes (two AP’s, one AP and one honors, or two honors) are “like one and a half classes instead of two,” because the teachers collaborate to make sure they do not schedule tests and projects during the same time frame.

History Department Chair Steve Plunkett added, “I’m hurt by the change. It doesn’t do what’s best for students.”

Reporters Shanzeh Ahmed, Kevin McCormick and Kevin Hajimomenian contributed to the story.