Amid frustration, guidance keeps policy

Students and counselors weigh in on the possibility of schedule changes

Guidance+director+Julie+Fierce+works+at+her+desk+in+her+office.+Fierce+is+heading+up+the+task+force+to+see+how+the+money+from+this+grant+might+help+SHS.

Photo by Madelyn Knight

Guidance director Julie Fierce works at her desk in her office. Fierce is heading up the task force to see how the money from this grant might help SHS.

David Worland, Reporter

When summer ends and school inches closer and closer, concerns may start to surface in student’s minds at SHS: What will their classes be like? Will they like the teachers or the people they have to work with? If the answers are negative, then students would go see their counselor to get their schedule changed–or try to. This year, students who have attempted to change their schedule have found out that there is a policy: No schedule changes. Some students may ask the question, how come?

“If we let 1,000 kids change their schedules, it would be chaos…We can all learn and grow from whatever it is we’re in and make the best of it,” Guidance Director Julie Fierce said. “So, that’s what we’re asking everybody to try to do.”

Fierce doesn’t want students to change their schedules for two reasons: if a schedule is changed, it could switch around other students and then switch around more students and so on. Secondly, she believes that students can learn something from whatever class they’re in despite if they like it.

Fierce is a supporter of the no schedule change policy, but two SHS students are not. Sophomore Alexis Morera, who has changed her schedule this year, believes that if a student has made a mistake in choosing a class they should have more options for changing their schedule.

“If you don’t like a class…or if there’s someone in that class you have a problem with…you can’t change it,” Morera said. “And then you’ll have to deal with that and that can just cause more chaos.”

On the other hand, Sophomore Katie Foxworthy, who also changed her schedule, sees both pros and cons to the policy.

“That class could push you to do something you don’t like, (and get you) out of your comfort zone,” Foxworthy said. “Some cons (to the policy) would be like if you’re stressed out in a class or you need to undo your schedule because you have other things to do…that would be difficult.”

Morera and Foxworthy changed their schedule because of the teachers and because of the stress that the class they were in brought on. So the question may be asked, what are the guidelines for changing your schedule?

“We’ve had students change because the students, the parents and the teachers talked and thought there needed to be a change,” Fierce said.

Fierce says that unless it’s an important matter that requires immediate action, such as the potential for a physical fight to break out between students, the chances of a schedule change are unlikely.