Cutting Chances

May 11, 2010

This past couple of months, or even this past year the Novi Community School District has been struggling. Last year the district threatened to cut the fine arts programs at Novi High School, along with others things. They also made the decision to privatize our custodial services, in an effort to save money, as well as discussed the option to cut down on transportation.

While some students at Novi High can just sit back and say ‘oh, those cuts won’t hurt me’ and then get on with their day, they have no idea how these cuts might affect the person sitting at the desk next to them.

With the district already threatening to cut the arts programs at the high school late last year, changing the high school’s daily schedule for next year, and having teachers either laid off or retire early, students have been on the edge waiting to see what is going to happen next. While they have already tried to cut other programs, this one is no different, with all of the students involved in this department of our school there are many voices to be heard.

Though I have never taken one of these courses, I am very involved in several of the programs that were threatened to be cut last year. I know what its like to have the feeling of ‘what am going to do if they take away all these classes?’ I know how it feels to not know what is going to happen next, especially with our principal retiring and a schedule change, making these cuts is a bad idea.

With all due respect to the Novi Community School District Board of Education, they need to look at why Novi offers these classes. They need to talk to students and see what they have to say before they make the cuts official.

While the board needs to listen to what students have to say, the students also have to be willing to speak their feelings and ideas. Students need to step up and let the board know why they should keep these programs, and let them know that Novi is one of the best schools around.

Cutting these programs are also cutting chances that students wouldn’t normally get. At other schools around our area, there are no classes like Early Childhood Education where students actually get to work with pre-school students, and Nutrition where students learn how to cook and eat healthy foods.

Students who attend Novi High School, whether for their entire high school career or for just one year, they are being offered the chances to take classes and have teachers that other schools don’t have.

Early Childhood Education gives students the chance to the spend time with the pre-school classes that are held in Novi High. They get the experience of creating lesson plans, and working one on one with young children.

In other schools there are kids who are thinking about being a kindergarden teacher, but aren’t able to make a decision because they haven’t had the experience of working in the field, but here at Novi students have that chance every day.

Making the decision to cut the life management program will do more than just take away the Early Childhood Education and Nutrition classes, it will be cutting the chances students have to experience the field in which they want to work before they go off to college and declare it their major.

So students, if you really want to keep these classes, speak up! Let your voice be heard at this week’s Board of Education meeting at the ITC on Thursday. Let the school board know how these cuts will affect you!

As always in this section of Novi.org, these are my personal opinions, not those of the students and staff at Novi High School, or in the rest of the Novi Community School District. Thank you, and don’t forget to speak up!