If there's a test anxiety issue of some sort, that's a different issue. But if he doesn't have a test anxiety issue he's getting D or E on tests I would actually not continue to Algebra II at all. I think that in a self-paced curriculum it is not generally a good idea to continue on to new material at all if the test scores are so low, because you are stacking a bit more knowledge on top of a shaky foundation. So I would not even continue to try to move through Saxon. It is common for algebra students to be able to solve problems with the book open (i.e. lesson problems) and not with the book closed. I would either restart Algebra I with a topically oriented curriculum and test through it, or go back to where he started failing tests and start reworking daily assignments including all the problems, and then readminister the tests. Since he hates Saxon now I'd be more inclined to do the first but the second could work. Algebra I is a crucial foundation for all levels of upper math and you do not want to be setting him up for a patchy understanding all the way through math. It is better both for his scores on entrance exams and his performance in math to make sure that Algebra I is rock-solid even with the book shut, however long it takes.

Thrift store where my mother is has some of the nice, nice used sweatshirts. Thrift store where I live has the $8 Walmart sweatshirts, used. People who live in better-off areas often see all the nice clothes at thrift stores near them and assume they're all like that. But thrift stores in poor communities have the castoffs from places slightly-less-poor people can afford to buy new, which is dollar stores and walmart.

re: gen eds as GPA boosters -- If he's already done his gen eds, he can take any class he wants as a general elective instead. Like, instead of "freshman composition" take "literature of science fiction", or anything in any department that appeals to him. This includes additional intro-level classes -- he doesn't need to do 200-level history classes if he's done 100-level history classes for gen eds, he can do 100-level psychology or economics classes for personal interest as well. I'd say those are even more likely to be GPA boosters.

Most business degrees require at least college algebra (requires algebra 2) and often a class past that --frequently business calculus (doesn't include trig) or finite math, but sometimes other options. So algebra 2 is a prerequisite for classes that he'd need to pass in college. If DE is an option, he might be amenable to following up algebra 2 with a college algebra dual enrolled class. This would tick his math box for high school and at least part of his math box for a college degree (if he is not in a STEM major). But he's not going to be able to get a degree w/o algebra 2 -- if he doesn't take it in HS, he'll have to take it in college as a remedial 0 credit class.

Haha I actually like that. It means that I can add a monstrous amount of veggies to a frittata and still have it hold together.

Ah, then possibly Derek Owens or Chalkdust would be a good fit? I know you're not thrilled with the books, but a good teacher can draw a lot out of a book.

There's a lot of overlap because most students need the additional review, repetition, and deepening in a precalculus class before they move to calculus. For what it's worth, Aops precalculus isn't going to have most of the algebra topics from a standard precalculus class -- they're in the intermediate algebra text instead. There's someone who has a schedule for a combined version of intermediate algebra/precalculus skipping the additional topics that aren't in a standard class. But I question whether aops would be a good fit based on your description of her. I don't really have a good rec instead though that's self-teaching and doesn't involve online or video lectures.

Yeah. What they want is a ramp, not a curve.

I do not grade on a straight 90-80-70-60 scale in more advanced classes. I like being able to ask more challenging questions so I use a scale with lower cutoffs. But the scale is still available for the students to see and listed in the syllabus. I will also calculate everyone's grade twice (excel makes this so easy), once as listed in the syllabus and once with the comprehensive final weighted more heavily, and give the higher of the two grades. I don't announce this though, because when I did they figured they'd make up grades on the final and so slacked during the semester, and the failure rate was astronomical. But I do this because I believe that a student who learns the material well enough to get an A/B on a comprehensive final but did not do well on the midterm for whatever reason should not need to repeat the class. Items -- It depends on the class. In a lower-division, primarily computational class such as college algebra, there will be far more items, usually a bit under 20. In an upper-division, proof-based class, there will be fewer items (like 12-ish) and frequently I will present several proof problems and tell them to omit one or two of their choice. I did not ever receive any training but as a graduate student I observed and graded other people's tests for a long time before I wrote any of my own.

Astronomy *ought* to tick the physical science box but by the time he's a senior, he'll be more sure on what colleges he wants to attend. If he changes his mind and wants to go somewhere that requires physics or chemistry (it's very uncommon to require chemistry AND physics -- some schools don't even offer it) he should be able to change his DE intentions at that point. I don't see a reason to change his 11th grade plans. He could also DE for chemistry (there is often a chemistry for non-majors class that should transfer AND tick the physical science box) if he wants to go somewhere that requires a physical science.

Isn't there chemistry used in AP bio?

Experience with gyn was similar to kewb except they didn't even recommend an endo. They just said 'oh you have cysts here have some bcp'. Pcp was actually more interested in treatment, pushed for metformin, apologized for referring me to gyno, basically said 'If I'd realized that was ALL they were going to do I'd have done it myself, I thought they'd actually help you.' She'd kind of like me to see an endo but it takes absolutely forever around here. Exercise was absolutely key for me in controlling it. Diet might have worked but I absolutely could not get the carb cravings under control -- if I walked past potato chips I was buying them -- and if I missed eating even for a short time I'd get shaky and dizzy. After getting a lot fitter and doing a lot of vigorous training (martial arts) I started my first diet and found I actually *could* cut back without feeling shaky from hunger. Got into the normal range for the first time in my adult life. This was unmedicated btw, I didn't have even bcp for years because I had terrible insurance and bcp was $40/mo at the time.

In the state where I grew up, it was always taught in PS and so appeared on the transcript as 'driver education', 1/2cr, with a grade. If all your local PS do it, it wouldn't be wrong to put it on because it will be consistent with other students in your state. But it wouldn't be wrong to leave it off either, because they will be used to not seeing it on the transcript from out of state applicants where it is not taught in PS. In either case, I would make sure it is not one of the 'essential' credits for the year -- it should be an elective if on the transcript.

These are the symptoms that my mother had, when she waited for 2 days and then got a friend to drive her to urgent care instead of calling an ambulance. We almost lost her. The urgent care called an ambulance and she crashed in the ambulance and they got her back. I'm glad it's a priority but ... don't mess around. Call *everywhere* to get in.

When my brother's dog died we buried her at the roots of a dogwood tree. It's "her tree". I wish we could do something similar for humans.

Man, I know people who always tell me publix is competitive on price and I wonder if they are crazy or if they just really don't notice. I've stopped in to several and it's ALWAYS higher. I don't bother anymore.

For extracurricular reading, Martin Gardner has some really nice books and I've heard good things about just being able to read through a college math for liberal arts book (jacobs is one of the best) and enjoy the small intros to advanced topics.

People who were in grad school with me found jobs doing mathematically-based research (a couple at Argonne or Fermilab), doing mathematical modeling for large companies such as mobile phone companies, doing programming and development for a medical software company, and a lot of other places.

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Oh heck no, although I would do some targeted test prep shortly before the SAT to make sure he hasn't forgotten any specific techniques he hasn't used recently. I mean he sounds bright enough to figure them out anyway but a few weeks of test prep certainly wouldn't be amiss.

I'm going to add in that this is going to be a great year to throw in a class that he's been interested in for a while and never fit. Physical geography? Sociobiology? Folklore and mythology? All of the odd and unusual stuff that gets shoved by the wayside when you're looking at knocking out requirements is fair game for electives.

I love Aldi so much. I wish there were one near me but it's an hour away and what I'd save going there would be made up in the cost of gas. But whenever I'm driving home from somewhere further away I stop and grab any staples I'm missing. I also grab anything that'll freeze well while I'm there, like bread. I prefer their rye bread to most stores and it's cheaper too.

Grrr. I was spending 15 hours a week hardcore training martial arts and never lost any weight because I just ate more to compensate (not realizing it at the time, but I did). It is very damn hard to outrun your fork when you're someone who's inclined towards gaining weight. I'm sorry that he's not inclined towards actually learning about the facts.

A legal pad with a weekly to do list. When something needs to get done in a specific week in the future I write it down there. I use the left side, the right side, and the center for different groups of tasks.

The UK has much better TV shows for sure.