Class Assignments

[Anonymous]

Why all the secrecy and contentiousness around class formations each year? Wouldn't it serve everyone to have a bit of open communication where this is concerned?

After two very dissappointing, unproductive years, my child finally had a really good year last year in 2nd grade. I believe that this was due in large part because he finally had a peer group in his Language Arts class. These kids worked well together and pushed each other, and I think they all had a very successful year (I have spoken to several of the other parents who also agreed). This is a stark contrast from what had happened during the previous two years. At the end of the school year, I wrote a letter about how successful this year was for my child because he had a strong peer group. I thanked everyone involved for making this happen, and I asked that these 4 kids be kept together to continue the progress they made into the 3rd grade.

I just learned that for this year they had kept all the kids in the reading group together EXCEPT my child who was put in a different class. From my perspective, it looks like this was done just to spite me for having the audacity to write a letter requesting what was best for my child (and there was NO request for any teacher, it was all about keeping the peer group together).

I'm so angry .... I don't know how I can move forward and have any sort of productive communication with this school. I have always felt that a child's education needs to be a cooperative effort between parents and the school. I believe the school has sent a message that they want none of that.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, OP. Is it possible they'll regroup for reading with kids from different classes? Don't give up hope yet.

[Anonymous]

How could you possible know this, yet? We don't find out anything until the first day of school on Monday. I'm sure this wasn't done to you out of spite. Most likely, it was just pure and simple benign neglect or incompetence, as usual.

[Anonymous]

I know -- I asked for my kid to be put with a certain teacher because she was so successful there despite her learning disabilities. We got the teacher -- but EVERY SINGLE ONE of her friends is in the other class.

I'm sure it's just coincidence but it feels crappy.

[Anonymous]

To the OP, I truly believe the worst thing a parent can do is to request your child be with specific other children. It is like a guarantee your child will be with as few of the requested peers, as possible. Writing the letter in support of the successes you saw last year is great, but I would have ended the letter there and not done the request. Also, as another poster said, I believe schools frequently do reading groups from multiple classrooms, so don't give up hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP, I truly believe the worst thing a parent can do is to request your child be with specific other children. It is like a guarantee your child will be with as few of the requested peers, as possible. Writing the letter in support of the successes you saw last year is great, but I would have ended the letter there and not done the request. Also, as another poster said, I believe schools frequently do reading groups from multiple classrooms, so don't give up hope.

I think you are right. I should not have requested, but here is why I did. In K, my child was in a reading group by himself (no peers). You'd think that would be great - one-on-one with the teacher, right? Well, the reality was, since he was only one kid and was already ready well above grade level, the teacher would meet with him about once every 2-3 weeks, while meeting with the other groups almost daily. Where is the equity in that? In 1st grade, my child was in a group of 8 kids, but none were reading at his level. The books that were read in school were 15-20 page books with about 5-10 words on a page. Outside of school, my child was reading the entire Beverly Cleary series about the Mouse on the Motorcycle. He got nothing out of that class. The teacher was in the midst of a difficult pregnancy and was completely checked out, and the principal retired one month into the school year, so we had an interim principal that was in way over her head. It was the perfect storm. Last year, 2nd grade, was a breath of fresh air. There was one child in his group reading at his level and the other two in his group were just a level behind. It was a good group. They weren't his best friends, but they were of the same reading ability and worked well together. For the life of me, I couldn't have predicted that requesting that this group stay together would have been looked at as a bad thing.
Where to go from here?

[Anonymous]

NP here - did you ask for BOTH a teacher and a peer group? Seems like asking for one or the other would have been OK, but both, you're asking to be dissapointed. The school has alot of variables it has to deal with, plus you don't know whether other kids jumped ahead in levels last year and might be a good fit for a reading group for your child this year. Sounds like the school thought it more important that your SN child be put with a teacher that was willing and able to work with your child, than to put all the children together. Plus, who knows whether the other parents requested a different teacher, different group. There are also other peer situations that need to be taken into account - are there children that DO NOT get along and should be kept separate? Are there other SN children that do better in other classrooms? Is there a balance both from a gender and a diversity perspective in the classroom? There are ALL KINDS of reasons that the staff could decide that it was not able to comply with BOTH of your requests - none of which are personal attacks on you. It's simply not about you, but about balancing and doing what's best for the whole of the class, including your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here - did you ask for BOTH a teacher and a peer group? Seems like asking for one or the other would have been OK, but both, you're asking to be dissapointed. The school has alot of variables it has to deal with, plus you don't know whether other kids jumped ahead in levels last year and might be a good fit for a reading group for your child this year. Sounds like the school thought it more important that your SN child be put with a teacher that was willing and able to work with your child, than to put all the children together. Plus, who knows whether the other parents requested a different teacher, different group. There are also other peer situations that need to be taken into account - are there children that DO NOT get along and should be kept separate? Are there other SN children that do better in other classrooms? Is there a balance both from a gender and a diversity perspective in the classroom? There are ALL KINDS of reasons that the staff could decide that it was not able to comply with BOTH of your requests - none of which are personal attacks on you. It's simply not about you, but about balancing and doing what's best for the whole of the class, including your child.

NO teacher was requested ... I knew better than to request any teacher.

[Anonymous]

NP here. I am also angry and frustrated about the class assignments. My DS is in a class with none of his friends. Why solicit parent input (to be, so called "partners" in the education process) if the parent feedback won't be taken into account. At our school, we were really encouraged to fill our parent surveys in the spring. I did not request a teacher or particular friends, but I did mention that DS has positive relationships with certain boys. Was surprised that not one friend wound up in class with him but all the other guys are together with the other teacher.

[Anonymous]

I find asking that your child be kept with a select group of kids that you feel are worthy of your child be utterly obnoxious. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find asking that your child be kept with a select group of kids that you feel are worthy of your child be utterly obnoxious. Sorry.

Nothing of the sort. It is about ability grouping, which I'm assuming is beyond your comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find asking that your child be kept with a select group of kids that you feel are worthy of your child be utterly obnoxious. Sorry.

I disagree. I would think a school would want to know who your child feels comfortable with (it is not about a "select group of kids" or being "worthy"). Also, if schools don't want to know, then don't ask parents for their input in that parent survey at the end of the school year.

I think in ES social comfort is important for many children and can impact how they perform in class. BTW, I'm not suggesting that its ok to ask/demand anything when it comes to class assignments, but I am suggesting that, if the school asks for input, it is strange that (time after time) it appears that they "punish" the child by doing exactly the opposite. Is it any wonder that increasingly parents feel that schools are becoming more adversarial and bureaucratic. What happened to "being a partner" in your child's education?

[Anonymous]

With all due respect, don't you think the school knows the abilities of the kids better than you do? I mean, how do you know that one of the other kids was at his level and the other two were a level behind? Do you all walk around talking about which level of reading your kid is at? Really? I don't know how big the grade is but perhaps there are other kids who you are not aware of who are actually at a level above your child? Maybe the school intends on putting him with those kids? Give the school/new teacher a chance before you storm in there demanding changes.

[Anonymous]

Should the school keep the same peer group for your child all the way through high school/college/grad school? Will that make you happy?

[Anonymous]

The only time our school will honor a request about other students is when a parent asks that her child NOT be placed w/ another child(ren). It isn't surprising that the school do what they thought was best. Also, in 3rd grade, kids are assigned to a homeroom and then they switch classes for reading and math. Just wait and see what happens. You made a request and it seems like it was denied. That is why it is called a request and not a demand.