LaissezFaire Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Today our local paper ran an article that stated our district is considering lowering the graduation requirements for high school students. The schools in my district are already so awful I can't believe they are taking it down another peg. The school would require only 1 year of math and 1 year of English for a high school student to graduate. Am I out of line to be completely appalled that a child could graduate with only a year of math and English? *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I think it depends. I can think of a few ways that it wouldn't be all that negative. Of course, it could be disasterous! Anyway, it's the opposite of our schools. On top of the 4 years of English and a semester of speech they require from every student, now EVERY student is expected to take four years of math and science. The good news is that they offer a lot of options, especially for science. They also have 8 periods per day which allows more time to get those credits in as well as take interest based courses, a passion, etc. I really think schools should have several different graduation options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 The school would require only 1 year of math and 1 year of English for a high school student to graduate. Am I out of line to be completely appalled that a child could graduate with only a year of math and English? You know what, I'll just laugh, here::smilielol5: I'll laugh, even though it's tragic, because it's bad for my baby if I get irritated over the utter degradation of the little that's left of education - and it really is reliquiae reliquiarum - in this country, again. I just cannot believe, cannot fathom, that some people really. don't. get. what. education. is. about. Unfortunately, more and more those among the ones who are deciding on these issues. Schools should not be daycares for teens. Nor should they be menus from which you choose what you feel like doing and freely ignore the rest. Nor should any child be able to graduate illiterate in one's own language and culture, or incapable of reasoning logically past algebra. :nopity: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Honestly...that is heartbreaking. My 16 dd will have 4 years of each, and still asks me if that will be *enough*. So many books, so little time! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 ...Schools should not be daycares for teens. :nopity: :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 On top of the 4 years of English and a semester of speech they require from every student, now EVERY student is expected to take four years of math and science. I don't mean this to sound snarky (I'm not directing this at you or your comment - but the system) but if they aren't studying math, science and English - for four years - what are they doing there?? Sure, some electives are fun and profitable, but I always assumed (since this was my HS experience) that you took 1 elective a semester and that was a gift - a gimme class. You took math, lab science, English, history, a language and then 1 or 2 electives. In college (granted I went to our of nation's military academies) I was a second semester junior before I had an (and by "an" I mean 1) elective. Are they not supposed to be taking classes and learning while "in school"? Perhaps the pervasiveness of "choice" and "options" hasn't done anything to improve the basic education provided by our public schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Wow! ONE year of each? Now, when I went to high school (many, many moons ago), I was only required to take two years of math and science. We did have 4 years of English though. I only took Algebra and Geometry and quit, as that met the requirements. I also took NO math in college! Looking back I can't believe it! Thank goodness I took at least basic Algebra and Geometry though as they popped up again on the GRE. I would also like to know WHAT they take in high school if they don't have Math and English. Those are the only two subjects I make absolutely sure my own children study diligently! Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I am shocked, really, 1 year each. In NJ this year, they raised the req. to 3 years of math (which has to be at least Alg 1 and 2 and geometry) and 3 lab sciencs, of which 2 have to be chemistry and biology. Of course 4 years of english is still req, and 3 years of history. Oh, also economics will be a req. starting next year. Also 2 years foreign lang. and 4 years gym are currently req. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I've read recently that some schools are looking at allowing kids to test out of high school at the end of their sophomore year and move on into college work. Or they can wait and do it (or try again) at the end of their junior year, too. I think it's about savings at the county/state level. But it's just shifting the cost of education and remedial education, in particular, onto the federal level. Or, alternatively, it's turning a lot of very young kids loose to do what? Some would be too young even to work. But this sounds like a whole 'nother animal..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaissezFaire Posted March 30, 2010 Author Share Posted March 30, 2010 Typical for our lovely newspaper there was a slight misprint that should have read they are lowering the requirement BY a year not TO a year. Even still, lowering the already low standards is a ridiculous way to save funds. A large percentage of the students who graduate from this local school are not anywhere near ready to take on a university. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 And I still don't understand the single credit of things like math and English, either..... What's up with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 A high school diploma should have more varied meaning then just preparing kids for college. Some kids will stop at high school, and that ought to be entirely acceptable. Our schools have "tracks." A kid can opt into the college prep track and is then required to take the typical Algebra I and II, Geometry classes. A "career prep" track still requires three years of math, but it does not have to include these same classes. I think each community (or state?) has to determine what it wants a high school diploma to really mean. What does it signify? That this is a literate child who can read and write and do basic world math and has a working knowledge of our history and science? That this is a child who can do geometric proofs? Does every adult need to have taken calculus? Does the district want to issue different levels of diplomas - some that indicate the child is university ready and other that the child is trade ready? Or is there one diploma for both but the child's actual transcript will indicate whether the child has taken classes that a university might require? Realistically, even if the high school lowers it's standard, kids who want to attend decent colleges will need the classes that college require. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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