Education is the basis for a functioning society. During their educational years, a student not only learns information that they can use for a successful future doing something that they love, they also learn how to interact with peers and the people whose jobs they soon will be taking over.

But what happens to the students that have trouble adjusting to large classes and big, new buildings?  In the Albany City School District, we have the Alternative Learning Center.

According to the Albany schools website, the ALC provides a variety of programs that run throughout the school year (September through June) and typically follows the same schedule. Middle and high school students are granted entry to this program based on their individual needs.

Teaching Assistant Joe Johnson works with the middle school students. The curriculum and methods that they are required to use is the same as the rest of the district; Common Core.

“Given some of the deficiencies of the Common Core curriculum, and since it’s a little more advanced than where some of the kids are in the learning process, we have to bring them up to that position.” This means some of these students learn at varied levels, and may not be able to keep pace with the Common Core, which is also a problem nation-wide.   The ALC’s smaller classes allow students more chances for one-on-one help and instruction.

People may wonder if something like the Alternative Learning program is even necessary. From a student’s standpoint, it would be.

Johnson states, “the kids that we have are kids that don’t do well in a traditional learning setting. Either they have trouble being in classes that are so large that they get lost, or certain behavioral issues deter others from learning.”

The Alternative Learning program is a place where students can learn and essentially grow to prepare for a transition into a traditional setting.

Every situation has room to improve, and the ALC is not an exception.

“One of the issues that we have is the image of the program. A lot of people see it as just a school with the ‘bad kids,’ when not every student here has behavioral issues. We have some students based on age; usually a kid who has been out of school for whatever reason, or didn’t go to summer school or someone coming from a transition. With that image comes the stigma; it’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy for the ones that know that. If I could change anything it’d be that mentality. For the most part, every kid I’ve come in contact with has something they can contribute to society; they just need to know how to do it.”

Lastly, there is the question of whether or not something like this can last in the long run. Is there essentially “trouble in paradise?”

Even if the district decides to “revamp” or change the ALC program starting next school year, a program like alternative education can definitely help in the long run. Johnson concludes, “We’ll still be here. It’s a necessary program for the district. That being said, I think we’ll be around for awhile.”

The Nest thanks Mr. Johnson for his time, and all the educators at the ALC and district-wide for their hard work and dedication to the kids of Albany.