Push it back.

Students need more time to pick their classes so they have a better idea of their level of interest and qualification for these courses.

With the way selection is currently set up at ETHS, many students are left to merely hypothesize what classes they are interested in taking for the next year. This year students started their selection process right after winter break with the educational planning meetings during their history or PE class, and many were still making last minute decisions at their counselor meetings.

Students are given a miniscule amount of time to pick their classes. Also, the course selection process is in the middle of the year instead of at the end, where it would ideally be.

With the lack of time, students go into counselor meetings without much confidence in their selections. This leads to students making late-August trips to their counselors’ offices, sending counselors frantic emails, or worst of all, being stuck taking classes which they are not qualified for or interested in.

However, it is understandable that we have to pick our classes by the time the school informs teachers whether they will be retained or let go. With students picking their courses early, this gives the school time to determine how many blocks of each class are expected to be needed, giving them a better idea of how many teachers will be needed for each course. Giving teachers advanced notice of their retention allows them to have ample time to seek out a new position if that situation presents itself.

To create extra time for students to make their decisions, the school needs to be more vocal about the 2 week window in May in which counselors can change course requests. During this time counselors can choose classes for students with only the restriction of full classes, a process much easier than a first day of school switch (which has to be approved by department chairs and teacher signatures). Although come May some classes may already be full, it is still beneficial for the student to have the option to drop a class they have no interest in, if  they get their second or third choice for a new class.

Although counselor meetings should be the primary method of course selection, perhaps students should  also be able to pick classes on their own time through HAC. If students had this option, it would help alleviate the uncertainty that students feel after leaving counselor meetings.