Requests for Specific “Learning Environment” For Your Children

At this time of year, we sometimes receive requests regarding student class placement for the next school year.

Please note that Winona Elementary School does not accept parental requests for specific class placement.  We have checked with our area schools and the majority of schools do not accept these requests either.  The practice of selecting a specific teacher is contrary to all that we believe in terms of respecting all members of the Winona community and learning to work together.  Even when the attempt is made to keep such requests “confidential,” this does not happen and the practice can cause divisiveness amongst our staff and students and in our parent community.

With our current focus on grade team planning and implementation of our instructional program, all classes of the same grade will have a similar curriculum focus and delivery.  Given that the curriculum will be aligned across the classes in the same grade, parents can be assured that the instructional program their child receives will be of equal caliber across the grade team.  While we know that parents sometimes have a preference for a specific teacher, we believe it is important for our students to learn how to cooperate and function in an environment with a wide range of personalities and educational philosophies, which is a life-long skill that is imperative to meeting with success in any group or workplace.  For these reasons we will not accept requests naming specific teachers and/or students. We would however welcome parental input into the type of learning environment that they feel would best meet the specific needs of their child.

We have developed a comprehensive process of assigning students to classes based on combinations of students who our staff believe should or should not be together, the learning needs of each student, the balance of male/female ratios, students who present with behavior challenges, as well as independent workers versus students who require greater teacher support.  All of this information is important in developing classes that are balanced and effective and can only be done by staff who work directly, in the school, with all of the students being considered. At times, we have also received requests that a student not be placed in a class with specific behaviorally challenged students.  While it is a fact that some children do at times interrupt the learning of others, these children must be in a class and the more we can support them and surround them with positive role models the better these children will be.

Another common request from parents is that their child not be placed in a “split” or a combined class.  We cannot accept these requests.  Split or combined classes are a reality in education today and with hard student cap numbers they are becoming ever more common.  There are definite advantages and disadvantages of combined classes and we take the entire student profile into account before making decisions about placement.  Just because a child was in a combined class one year does not guarantee that they will not be in a combined class the following year.

I hope this has helped you to understand the complexity of allocating classes in a fair, responsible and equitable manner and helps to assure you that great attention is given to the placement of each and every child.

Sincerely,

Mr. T. Illman

Principal