BackToSchool

"I've got 44 students in my period 5 class," says one high school teacher.

"Please be patient. We're taking a count, and sorting out class sizes," reads a message from the school administration.

"Why has my student been denied acceptance to the (name of great program)? Shouldn't priority be given to returning students over new students?" emails a worried parent.

School is back in session. The story isn't clear yet, but I wonder if some private school students have returned to public or charter schools due to the economy. Initial comments from the fray speak of overcrowding, canceled programs, and a little confusion.

Chaos is typical in public high schools the first few weeks of fall, as students are gradually assigned and re-assigned to classes. Getting the required credits to graduate is a complex business, and public school counselors are responsible for hundreds of students' schedules.

Yet as I walk through a few corridors and across a yard, I notice that except for a few lost freshmen, students seem happy and unperturbed. Developmentally appropriate behavior reigns, meaning adolescents are intensely interested in their peers. Hand holding, clusters of laughing teenagers, a few young men with skateboards, guitars or frisbees. What is not to like about high school, in spite of the fretting of adults?