Can I Have My Schedule Changed?

Can you believe that it's the first day of school already? The summer just seemed to breeze by, but I'm looking forward to having a great school year. I'm usually used to dealing with a lot of scheduling issues on the first day back, but surprisingly, there were not that many concerns (knock on wood). In all honesty, the frequent issue with schedules involves kids trying to be in classes with their friends. And because kids these days are way craftier than in my day (how's it going class of '99?), they have a way of "tricking" their parents into believing that they want their schedule changed strictly for academic purposes (i.e., "I don't want to take band anymore--I never have time for homework."). My rule of thumb is that I NEVER grant a scheduling request unless there's a genuine reason (such as if a student wants to take a high school credit course and their grades prove that they can handle the workload). Below, I list some tips for parents to ensure that there are no scheduling snafus on the first day back to school:

1. Be on the "look-out" for scheduling information at the end of the school year.
I usually wait until spring to start discussing schedules with students and parents. I lay out the required courses they must take, as well as the options that they have for exploratory courses (i.e., art, band, computer). I allow students to rank which exploratory courses they would like to take, and I collect parent signatures before I actually start scheduling for the following year. If a student fails to return their scheduling forms by the due date (which I give them WEEKS to complete), I have to start just placing them in classes where there's available spaces. Sounds harsh, yes, but my policy is first come, first serve.

2. Read the school's program of studies.
Every school should have one. A program of studies lists ALL of the classes the school has to offer, as well as a description of the courses. Your child wants to take a career investigations course and you have no clue what he/she will be doing in that class? Check out the program of studies. Curious if that Spanish I course your 8th grade child is taking will count towards high school credit? Flip open the program of studies. I'm telling you, these books are "the bomb" (or whatever else means cool nowadays). I've even looked at them myself for definite answers.

3. Call before the first day of school with scheduling questions.
Most schools mail out schedules before open house, and this would be a great opportunity to review them to see if everything is as it should be. There is always someone working at the school during the summer, especially August. If you see that your child is taking Algebra when you know they are supposed to be in Geometry, please call the main office. A worker will either explain the schedule to you, or change any errors. There are quite a few parents that wait until the first day of school to sort out scheduling issues. In all honesty, these students usually end up sitting in the main office for most of the morning (the first day back can be quite chaotic!). These students end up missing pertinent information, which sets them back this early in the game. If you want your child to start off on the right foot, please call with scheduling concerns over the summer.

And last, but certainly not least...

4. Call your school counselor!
So you're reading about an art course named Visions in the program of studies, but still have no idea what the class has to offer. Please give me a ring. If you feel that your child is capable of taking more advanced classes but you do not see any on his/her schedule, please let us know. If you want to make sure that your child is not in the same classes with certain peers, give us a heads up. We may not have all the right answers, but we sure can guide you into finding one.

Basically, I think the best way to guarantee that students will have a successful school year is to have a collaborative relationship with your school counselor. Now I'm off to the main office to see if we still have lobby free of students and their "wrong" schedules. :)