Principal Explains Student Placement at Amherst Middle School

Original letter posted on the Amherst Middle School website:

It is once again that time of year when we begin the task of gathering information for the purpose of scheduling students in classes for the next school year. We use several resources in the placement process: guidance counselors, classroom teachers, administrators, and parents.  I ask that you read this information carefully to better understand the process and avoid misconceptions.

Many factors are considered for student placement. When determining the student composition of our classes, we strive to create a well-balanced environment. This is an important aspect of scheduling and one that we consider carefully. It is our goal to create a positive and challenging educational climate for all students. To this end, we work to balance classrooms by gender, personality traits, and abilities. We also consider the potential impact of relationships that may interfere with learning.

The responsibility for creating this positive learning environment rests with us. Our scheduling effort begins with a review of our teaching teams. Being a school with an excellent staff and wonderful students, our goal is to balance teaching teams by considering individual diversity of skills, teaching styles, and experience. Well-balanced teams provide the best opportunity for any student to succeed regardless of where they are placed. In recent years, there have been many team reconfigurations, and with recent declining enrollment and staff reductions, I anticipate many more in the future.

The next step in the process is a review of students with potential placement considerations such as learning disabilities, behavioral concerns, and identified peer-relationship issues. The guidance counselors here at AMS, at Wilkins, and at Mont Vernon provide valuable placement input based on their experience with students and information provided by parents and teachers.

Class lists are then created and reviewed for gender balance and “class chemistry.” Teachers consider the overall abilities and composition of the students on teams. This teacher feedback constitutes the final tweaking of the class lists and teams.  It is a long and careful process.

Allow me to make a very important point about parent input in the placement process. It is not necessary to write me a letter to ensure a “good” placement.  If you feel it is necessary to write a letter, I ask that you only focus on the unique educational needs of which we may not already be aware. I read and give due consideration to every letter submitted, however, please do not request a particular teacher or team, or that your child be placed with friends or a group of friends!  Friendships often change, and a valuable part of the Middle School experience is making new ones. Parents never pick teachers or teams. If there are substantial friendship issues, they should be discussed with the guidance counselors right away since they have major input into the placement process.

Letters regarding your child’s placement issues must be received at the Middle School no later than Friday, April 12, 2012.  If you have concerns, they must be put in writing. Information from past years does not necessarily get considered.  As children grow and change, peer-relationship and educational issues often change as well; for this reason, I can only address the current concerns and letters submitted.

In certain cases, if a sibling or parent has experienced a prior issue with a particular teacher, it may make sense to consider scheduling the student on one of the other teams.  If this is the case, it is important that you be specific regarding your concerns.  They must be based on first-hand experiences and not on hearsay.  Granting parental input for anything other than sound educational reasons would undermine the integrity of our process and cannot be honored.  Any move once the students are placed creates an imbalance between team numbers, and may be impossible because of a student’s reading or math level.  Rarely does any move occur; only in cases where there is specific educational justification is a child moved to another team after placement.  Remember, in order for any information to be considered, it must be submitted prior to the April 12^thdeadline.  

We continue to work very hard to earn and keep your trust and our integrity in the placement process.  I hope this helps demystify the complex placement process, and I thank you in advance for your support.

Porter Dodge

Principal, AMS