Staying After: Not always an option for some students

Katelyn Beebe, Staff Writer

The bell rings for me to go to my second period class. I know the one main thing I need to do is ask the teacher if I can stay after to make up a quiz that I missed last week when I was absent. I approach the teacher and ask him. He says “I can’t today; could you maybe stay after Thursday?” I tell him yes because I am desperate to get my test out of the way. As I go and take my seat I quickly text my mom to tell her she doesn’t need to pick me up. My mom works and has to find time to get out to pick me up. Staying after is never easy for me. This is the struggle I have every time I need to stay after.

Knowing me, I’m out once every couple months. Most people know that when you come back to school there are tons of tests, quizzes, and homework to make up. In most classes I have to go to the teacher and try to compromise on a day that works for both of us.

The thing about staying after is that you always need to find a way to get home. I don’t have my license or a car yet so I can’t drive home. I usually have to coordinate a day with one of my parents to have them be able to get out of work and come and get me. Having a set day that you are going to stay after and you have plans for your parent to pick you up and then having the teacher say they need to reschedule the day is so stressful.

Recently, it took me two weeks to make up a History test because the teacher could never stay after the day’s I had already planned a ride.

DLTs are helpful because if a teacher is free then I can just make up a test during that time. Not all teachers have the same free time as the students do so that’s when you have to start considering staying after.

Friends are also helpful because if they stay after for a club or they need to make up something on the same day as you then they probably are willing to ask their parent if you can get a ride too. Also if they drive to school then they might agree to bring you home.

This struggle isn’t only to do with staying after to make up tests. It’s if I want to join a club as well. Clubs are held after school. If I wanted to join a club then my friend who would need to be willing to bring me home every time we had a meeting would have to join too. After a while I would feel like a bother asking for a ride after every meeting. There are clubs I would love to stay after for, but I can’t.  Therefore, I never join any clubs because I have no way home.

I would really love to stay after for clubs and I really care about keeping my grades up by making up that test or quiz I missed, but how if it’s so hard for me to find the time to stay after.

All I ask is that teachers understand that some students do not have the flexibility to stay after school when it is only convenient for them or only on the day that they are scheduled to stay after.