Waiver system changes streamline process

By Isabelle Chiu
Staff Writer

The administration has made significant improvements to the waiver system this year, which will streamline the scheduling process for the 2015-16 school year. These changes are beneficial and  allow for more students with waivers to be accepted into their desired classes.

This year, there are two waiver submission opportunities; one took place in March, and the other is upcoming in May, after the master schedule is built. The waiver opportunity in March was for students who did not meet the required letter grade or did not take the required classes. After the waivers were submitted and processed, the students were notified on April 17 whether or not they were admitted.

According to Mira Costa Vice Principal Ian Drummond, the waivers are being submitted earlier than previous years to allow the number of waived students to be added before the master schedule is built, where they plan out the classes for next year.

Because of the early deadline, there is no restriction on the number  of students accepted into the difficult classes. This provides a more efficient way of scheduling since it allows more students to get into their desired classes.

Previously, administrators did not look at waivers until the beginning of the school year, which caused problems for students and counselors as some students did not have definite schedules on the first day of school and were admitted weeks late into their desired classes.

According to Drummond, the teacher of the student’s most recent course in the subject will fill out the teacher recommendation section at the bottom of the waiver form, rather than the department heads who completed these forms in previous years. This provides a more accurate idea of which students can handle advanced classes as these teachers have a closer relationship with a student’s ability.

The waiver opportunity in May is intended for students who have a low second semester grade that may not meet the prerequisites for a class. By the time the second waiver is available, the master schedule and the class spaces will be set. As a result, there will be limited spots to accommodate the rest of the students who plan to waiver into a class.

Students who try to waive into class in May receive different waivers and work with their counselors after they are notified of their waiver decision in the summer to accommodate their schedule before the year begins. This allows for a more organized system for not only the student but also for the administration.

The new waiver policy is more organized, allowing the administration to more fairly evaluate students who wish to waiver into classes. This change in the system should reduce schedule conflicts in the beginning of the year and provide waiver students the opportunity to enroll earlier into more rigorous classes.