The number of Hercules student teacher aides has dropped to about 114 this semester from an estimated 130 at the beginning of the school year as the school prepares to respond to a new state law.
After a complaint against Oakland schools that students were not receiving a proper education, the legislature passed Assembly Bill 1012, which eliminates the opportunity to be a teacher aide from the course schedule starting in the 2016-17 school year, Hercules High School Principal Paul Mansingh said.
The bill, passed in October, mandates that no student in grades 9-12 will be placed into any class without educational content for more than one week in any semester, except under prescribed conditions.
This is happening because some students in schools involved in the suit were graduating with more teacher aide credits than elective credits, school counselor Eric Medeiros said.
Among other things, aides help with class organization, filing, and grading.
To avoid potential confusion when the law takes effect next school year, Mansingh is altering a number of teacher aide schedules to substitute the TA class with a more academic elective course.
“We put it out at the [start of this] semester just so people got a heads up so it’s not a big shock,” Mansingh said.
Many teachers rely on student help because of the amount of papers they need to grade on a daily basis.
“I need my TAs,” science teacher Emerlyn Gatchalian said. “If they can stay in my class, that will be very helpful.”
More elective classes will be needed to place all teacher aide students in classes, English teacher Igor Litvin said.
“The only other class that I’m going to be able to take at this point is jazz dance and I’m not going to jazz dance. That’s not going to happen,” high school junior Ivan Rosenbaum said.
“I’m planning to have a blank in my schedule.”
Hercules High senior Brandon Mark said teacher aides provide valuable support and deserve credits.
Senior Brandon Rivera said that, “I might not even show up if I’m put into a class I don’t want to take.”