Just expressing, nothing required. But, after having my son fight for 3 years to fit his less-popular foreign language choice into an otherwise conventional (for this high school) schedule, I should have known that DD’s first two smooth years portended trouble.
She wants to take dual enrollment music theory/aural skills this fall because we have almost no music curriculum beyond band/choir, and music is her thing. Got it all set up with the school board, accepted by the college, and I got special permission from my job to have the time to transport her 3x/week. Now registered, all she had to do was try to fit the class into her school day schedule. She made an appointment with her GC for today. I ask her how it went, she says “Oh, it took all of about 4 minutes; I was scheduled for German I in that block.”
Ok… but German I was her alternate elective. What didn’t she get? “He didn’t say.” Aaaaarrrrrrggggghhhh. She signed up for a pretty standard junior year at this school. We figured that to fit the DE class - which fortunately runs at a time that means she will only be out of the building for advisement (homeroom) + 2nd block - she would need to either delay honors physics to senior year, step back to regular physics, or drop the 2nd choir that runs opposite band/choir in the school’s schedules and take her required social studies class in that space instead (which is the other class offered for juniors who take music in that block - the block is split so that music can run all year). Worst case, delay Spanish IV to 12th grade. Absolute worst case, not be able to take the DE class after all. I’m glad she can take the DE class, though it really messes with my work schedule, but to slate it in place of a 2nd choice elective, and not tell her anything else about her schedule??? Granted, the “policy” is not to release schedules until August, but come on -
I know, public school, 1500 kids, 5 GCs. They only have time to find a solution and stop, without making sure it’s the best solution for the specific student. Sigh. This GC is probably going to be happy when she graduates - no more kids from this particular family constantly bothering him about scheduling.
The ironic part? German is what my son had to absolutely fight into his schedule every year. Sigh. I’m done now. Going to strongly suggest she talk to the GC again so she knows what she didn’t get.
My daughter wanted to move from regular to honors math. No problem…she got honors algebra on her 11th grade schedule. No problem. Except for one thing. Her schedule did NOT have English on it…at all. Now Englosh is required for four years to graduate in this state. Duh…she has to have it.
When she inquired…the GC said “but I thought you wanted honors math”.
A little,haggling…and she got both.
The. The following year, she wanted culinary arts…a very popular elective. It didn’t come on her schedule. No surprise. She was away so I got to deal,with it. And yes, she got the course.
I am not at all unhappy to never have to deal with high school scheduling again. There were lots of reasons to rant. The most ridiculous was when D1 was scheduled to take the same class with the same teacher twice every day.
I’m confused. I thought you said she didn’t get German 1. That’s what she gave up. Are you saying you wanted the counselor to tell her her entire schedule? They probably aren’t finished yet. Sounds to me like they made a special accomodations to fit the music class in. Am I missing something?
I don’t quite understand the OP’s issue either, other than not knowing the rest of the schedule, which I agree they probably don’t know. I doubt your kids are the only ones out of 1500 kids who have schedule issues.
My son got placed in girls’ choir. Best part is when he went to ask about it they said they couldn’t do anything; he’d have to talk to the choir teacher. That’s probably true–choir teacher is kind of, um, intense and probably has yelled at the GC staff for messing with HIS CHOIRS so they just don’t deal with it. It was fixed pretty easily but it was annoying. Because the class he was in didn’t meet every day, that meant that S couldn’t get it fixed on the first day so he ended up going to some incorrect classes.
Senior year, D was told she couldn’t have a certain class (forget what) because it conflicted with AP World. AP world history is offered literally every class period at their school. They got it straight, but that was just so bizarre.
My older son always had conflicts because he was ahead in math and science and taking Latin. One year they mailed him a schedule with only three courses listed! Usually his guidance counselor would call him before school started and ask him to sit at the computer with her and figure out a schedule he liked.
If there is a chance that your daughter would decide not to do the dual enrollment if the rest of the schedule is not to her liking, then she should tell the GC that.
Similar to @mathmom, my son’s schedule for the last two years often said “see registrar” for three of his five classes. He was off campus quite a bit taking math or science classes at one or two local LACs, so taking a full load of classes (which is only five) was really hard to schedule.
Our small school has lots of scheduling issues. We made use of online classes for some classes, either for the class that could not fit in the schedule or for the class that was in the schedule that conflicted with the desired class.
So, for instance, German or the missing elective could be taken online. Music theory can be taken online. In fact, AP music theory can be taken online. This would not disrupt your work either.
The very best place to do theory is at a conservatory prep, if you have one nearby, but otherwise I would consider online theory. OR another class online to make room for the theory.
Going to CC for music theory may not be worth it: check out the quality. Is there sight singing/solfege, dictation- aural skills?
everything has gotten so much easier since we bailed on HS and took almost everything at community college. now my son never has to set foot in HS again, and only has to take 1 online HS class per semester, and years of scheduling snafus have come to an end. he couldn’t be happier.
This hasn’t changed over the years. Even way back when I was in HS I had a big scheduling conflict – even after my mother met with the principal and the conflict did not get resolved (although the principal did help us to come up with a reasonable alternate plan – a feat which my guidance counselor was unable to manage). My kids also had some conflicts through HS. Unfortunately it seems almost unavoidable – a combination of too many students, too rigid schedules etc.
Since my son’s freshmen year in high school, scheduling time has always been the most stressful and frustrating. He’s going to be senior in the fall, and we just need to go through the ritual once more. One more year of high school and we’re forever done with it!
I have never figured out why high schools don’t take the college approach and post what classes are offered when and then let the students figure out their schedules. DD’s GC is about as helpful as a turnip.
Eons ago I (and, coincidentally, my next door neighbor) had too many “orphan” classes to be accommodated. She and I ended up with the senior year girls for our required junior year gym class because we both had French, Band, Honors English (no AP’s back then), Science 3A (an integrated science program- good one)… Senior year I had to take the semester of regular Government while taking the Economics semester due to schedule conflicts. My HS had around a 1000 students.
Son in a different city likewise had scheduling difficulties. French 4 conflicted with an AP Language course- junior year there was also Honors Lang Arts so he took that. Even earlier he took AP Music Theory (? exact title) one semester when he really wanted the computer science course that wouldn’t fit (he added a comp sci major to his math major in college- didn’t hurt him). His HS had around 2000 students. btw, his cousin in a different school district with a large enough HS close by ended up with doing an independent study for AP Music Theory the same year (as a senior) because her HS didn’t offer it- she majored in music performance in college.
As to college courses (post #13). Even at large U’s there can be conflicts- especially with Honors versions that only have one section. It is the rare student I suspect who takes exactly the courses at the top of the list all years (and at the desired times)- there is often a second choice for a breadth elective due to scheduling.
Things work best for the average student. It’s when you get those top classes that there are single times that it becomes hard for the school to juggle teachers and times. That’s reality. Same at good U’s.
These days there are plenty of online options for scheduling problems. Try to get your school to join Virtual High School, which not only eliminated scheduling issues but added many many classes to our school’s choices. Our local education foundation paid for it initially. If you pay yourself, it is generally $400+ for one class.
I too never understood why the master schedule was so secret. Scheduling was always a stressful time at our too small, rural, public HS. What made it worse was they listed way more courses than they were actually going to offer, and the students had to guess which would really occur. They sent the schedules 2 weeks before school started. They’ve also gone to pawning off many classes to do-it-yourself on-line.
Thanks for sharing guys, I appreciate it. Some of your kids have had some really ahem interesting experiences - that I don’t envy! As mentioned, I’m over it. Kid will handle it, and all will be well in the long run. I appreciate your insight in addition to commiseration.
