Say It Ain'T So

We've been overloaded in our classes. It's a long story. It has to do with shifts in enrollement (can you say foreclosures boys and girls) and a new computer system. The district thought we had too many students, but we really didn't. Or at least not as few as they said we did.

So I started the year (much to my amazement) with 32-33 students in a class. And then we lost 16 sections, and I went up to 36-38. I recognize that I am at a totally different place than I was last year. Suddenly, 32 seems like cake. (I had 30 freshman two years ago, and I insisted it was Hell. I can tell you, though, that had I had 5 fewer of them, the remaining 25 would have gotten a much better deal. My current students miss out on a lot.)

They've been promising a new section of English for two weeks now. For the last two days, I've been seeing the fall-out on my schedule. Of course, they have dropped students from every class except the ONE that is most overloaded. Not only is the class overloaded, but they are the most lively and each one really needs my personal attention at every minute of the day.

And today, I saw that they dropped one of my kids. This kid DROVE ME NUTS last year. I believe I've mentioned him here before (perhaps he need his own secret identity); we did NOT get along last year. This year, however, has been awesome. I'm glad to have him in the room. I look forward to his input. (I always knew he had talent, but last year he didn't want to share his skillz.) And....

They moved him.

Of all the 170 students I have on my courseload, they take the ONE student that I was really psyched to have. Not only because he was participating, but because he was living proof that problems can improve, students can change, and I can have an influence (I don't think I "changed" him, but that he's willing to play along this year makes me thing that he learned something last year.)

I told him during homeroom that I saw his schedule changed. He started smiling, and I called him on it. He said that he thought class was going well, and no, he didn't want to switch. I do believe it was a nervous smile -- which I totally get. If they are switching him from me, that means they are switching his entire course load.

I also hate that they are switching a student who is suddenly showing academic progress (he did very little work last year). How will this shift change him? I could give them a better list of students who would be impacted less by a change -- because their education impacts them less. (of course, if they asked us, we'd end up with a class students who don't care. Repeat after me kids, "Tracking!"

It's just disappointing. He was a good reminder that things can get better and they kids do change. I told him to tell his couselor to switch him back. It won't happen, but I hope he at least realizes that even after last year, I don't hate him and that he can make positive changes. He is also friendly with a touch of snark; I appreciated his devil's advocate side. He was fun to have in class. I will miss him (and I never, ever thoug I'd say that.)