Schedule Changes Create Chaotic Start to New School Year at Pioneer
Many students wanted to change their schedules, however this increase in demand created a slow down of changes.
By Abigail Shlimenzon
Many students wanted to change their schedules, however this increase in demand created a slow down of changes.
By Abigail Shlimenzon
The start of the 2022-23 school year has been an opportunity for students to return back to their new normal post-COVID school routine. The return to school marked reunions of friends and old teachers, making it an exciting experience for everyone. However, not everything was as easy. One notable obstacle that students, counselors and teachers had to overcome immediately upon their return to school was scheduling issues. Students have always requested schedule changes but this year counselors were met with an especially overflowing list of schedule change requests.
“Unfortunately, we did get over 400 students wanting schedule changes,” said academic counselor Jeannete Magaña.
Many students had different reasons for wanting to change their schedules, but some had more pressing issues than others.
“I had a zero period I didn't request and they gave me a class again and I wouldn't be able to graduate if I didn’t get the credit,” said Jordan Pino, 12.
Teachers noticed that there was one main reason behind the overwhelming amount of students requesting schedule changes.
“The juniors and seniors whom I teach want to leave early. They want to leave before lunch, so they were moving all over the place. And they didn't want to be in the afternoon classes,” said English teacher Michelle Bowman. “One of our classes even closed because there were only two seniors in it.”
Although for some students, schedule changes were necessary. Others had less important problems with their schedule. Those students requesting unnecessary changes made it hard for counselors to make changes for others.
“More students were making requests that were wants and not needs. So that clouded the students who absolutely needed a schedule change and then it became kind of impossible to help those students because everyone else was coming in with their wants,” said academic counselor Nicole Pearson. “And so students who didn’t have a U.S. history class, we would suddenly not have a U.S. history class to put them in. And it just got a little crazy for a minute.”
In order to deal with this huge load of requests, Pioneer implemented two different methods for handling schedule changes. The first was an online option that allowed students to ask for changes without talking to counselors face to face.
“(Assistant Principal for Instruction Alison) Zuniga was really instrumental in helping behind the scenes of handling the schedule change requests in the QR code, while all of the counselors really dealt with students coming into our offices and lining up and kind of taking students one by one. So it was kind of a team effort to get all those schedule changes done,” said Pearson.
Although both methods were very useful in helping students get the changes they wanted, some students felt that the online QR code version prevented them from being able to communicate their concerns with counselors.
“I personally don’t like the QR code method,” said Kalia Villanueva, 12. “When you do it in person they have to do it right away, which I prefer.”
Schedule changes have not only affected students and counselors, but they also had effects on classes.
“When students switched classes that meant they were behind and then they had to do a lot of catching up, which means they are still a little lost and some are even not ready,” said Bowman. “They have jumped into an AP class because they don’t want to be in an afternoon class and they aren’t prepared, so some are already missing assignments.”
Not only has the increased amount of requests for schedule changes made the process more difficult this year, but having two new academic counselors, Magaña and Judy Pataky-Hannon, also made the process more difficult. Although being thrown into schedule changes on the first day of school was an intimidating task, the counselors worked together and were able to overcome the challenges thrown at them.
“Learning how to do the schedule changes was something positive that I pretty much learned on the spot while practicing with students,” said Magaña. “My previous other job was more social, emotional, so I didn’t do schedule changes. So part of the fun was being in a new school and interacting with older kids, while learning how to do that.”
“Unfortunately, we did get over 400 students wanting schedule changes,” said academic counselor Jeannete Magaña.
Many students had different reasons for wanting to change their schedules, but some had more pressing issues than others.
“I had a zero period I didn't request and they gave me a class again and I wouldn't be able to graduate if I didn’t get the credit,” said Jordan Pino, 12.
Teachers noticed that there was one main reason behind the overwhelming amount of students requesting schedule changes.
“The juniors and seniors whom I teach want to leave early. They want to leave before lunch, so they were moving all over the place. And they didn't want to be in the afternoon classes,” said English teacher Michelle Bowman. “One of our classes even closed because there were only two seniors in it.”
Although for some students, schedule changes were necessary. Others had less important problems with their schedule. Those students requesting unnecessary changes made it hard for counselors to make changes for others.
“More students were making requests that were wants and not needs. So that clouded the students who absolutely needed a schedule change and then it became kind of impossible to help those students because everyone else was coming in with their wants,” said academic counselor Nicole Pearson. “And so students who didn’t have a U.S. history class, we would suddenly not have a U.S. history class to put them in. And it just got a little crazy for a minute.”
In order to deal with this huge load of requests, Pioneer implemented two different methods for handling schedule changes. The first was an online option that allowed students to ask for changes without talking to counselors face to face.
“(Assistant Principal for Instruction Alison) Zuniga was really instrumental in helping behind the scenes of handling the schedule change requests in the QR code, while all of the counselors really dealt with students coming into our offices and lining up and kind of taking students one by one. So it was kind of a team effort to get all those schedule changes done,” said Pearson.
Although both methods were very useful in helping students get the changes they wanted, some students felt that the online QR code version prevented them from being able to communicate their concerns with counselors.
“I personally don’t like the QR code method,” said Kalia Villanueva, 12. “When you do it in person they have to do it right away, which I prefer.”
Schedule changes have not only affected students and counselors, but they also had effects on classes.
“When students switched classes that meant they were behind and then they had to do a lot of catching up, which means they are still a little lost and some are even not ready,” said Bowman. “They have jumped into an AP class because they don’t want to be in an afternoon class and they aren’t prepared, so some are already missing assignments.”
Not only has the increased amount of requests for schedule changes made the process more difficult this year, but having two new academic counselors, Magaña and Judy Pataky-Hannon, also made the process more difficult. Although being thrown into schedule changes on the first day of school was an intimidating task, the counselors worked together and were able to overcome the challenges thrown at them.
“Learning how to do the schedule changes was something positive that I pretty much learned on the spot while practicing with students,” said Magaña. “My previous other job was more social, emotional, so I didn’t do schedule changes. So part of the fun was being in a new school and interacting with older kids, while learning how to do that.”