In the past, the first weeks of the semester saw dozens of students scrambling to change their schedules, whether that’d be to be with their friends, get their favorite teachers, etc. Well, this is a practice of the past. This year, the district adopted a new policy: counselors are only allowed to offer students classes that were listed on their initial enrollment card. Counselor Shari Schaake said the change was necessary.
“Staffing was getting tight, especially at Southwest, and we didn’t have a lot of extra spots for students,” Schaake said. “We wanted them to be thoughtful in their choices, and it’s worked out pretty well.”
Schaake said the Schedule Correction Policy benefits teachers. In past years, they didn’t know how many students would be in their class because so many were switching in and out of classes. Now, their classes are set and they can start on curriculum on the first days of the semester.
“Teachers, especially elective teachers, didn’t know how many students they were going to have though the semester because it was constantly changing,” Schaake said. “So [with this policy], we’re getting schedule corrections done in December so classes are set Day 1. The kids come in and they’re ready to roll.”
While the Scheduled Correction Policy has benefits for both counselors and teachers, many students are frustrated that they can no longer switch into their friend’s classes. Schaake said that while she understands the frustration, this policy gives students the opportunity to connect with new people.
“We’re not big fans of [changing schedules for friends]. Now you get to make new friends, new people and new opportunities. Honestly, we try to set them up for success at the next level,” Schaake said. “In their next chapters of life, they’re going to have to meet and work with new people.”
Similarly, students can no longer switch into a class to avoid a teacher. But Schaake said if a student wants to move down a level, they’re allowed to. They just have to meet with their counselors.
“We don’t like to do teacher changes [either]; we like to try to keep kids with the same teachers. But sometimes that happens naturally when an elective changes,” Schaake said. “If there’s a conflict, we want to talk through it and try to resolve that.”
The Semester 2 Schedule Correction Policy window is Dec. 6th-8th, so any student wanting to correct their schedules should meet with their counselors next week. While any new policy is an adjustment, Schaake said that this one benefits everyone — counselors, teachers and students — and should be given a chance.
“This [policy] is helping everyone. It’s helping students settle into classes and meet new people,” Schaake said. “This is a great growth opportunity for all of us.”
