svengandhi
Well-Known Member
difficult child is a very bright person. He is 15 and just finishing 10th grade. He is classified as ED for a school-based anxiety disorder.
He has been in Honors math since grade 7. This year, he has run C - C+ all 3 quarters. School just ended and we don't know his final grade yet. Last night, his teacher sent an email basically suggesting that we remove him from Honors for next year and put him in what's called Accelerated. It's kids who used to be in Honors but dropped down for various reasons, primarily that the math was too hard in Honors or, as with several of difficult child's friends, they weren't happy with getting a B in Honors and wanted A's in the easier class.
For background, difficult child does not study and rarely does HW. He did not open the book to study for his final or his state test. In last year's state test, he got a 99. I don't know his score yet from the tests he took this past week. He took the SATs without studying in grade 9 and got a 620 on the math and 670 on verbal; he is very intelligent when he wants to be.
difficult child does not want to leave the Honors program. They can't force him out, they can only suggest it. I know that their reason as stated is that they don't want his GPA to be negatively effected but, in reality, it's because they want to be able to say that their Honors classes have only high achieving students in them. The SD does not care about potential, only present performance.
As his parent, I am torn. I have given up worrying about his GPA - he has no interest in attending the type of college kids with his brains and abilities should be able to go to and even the way it is, his GPA is still good enough to get into a decent state college. He is not motivated by grades. My concern is that if I take him out of Honors, his grade will go down because he will be bored and will do even less than he is now and that he will sabotage himself even more.
We basically told the school that, if he was studying for hours a day, doing all of his HW, going for extra help and tutoring and was getting those C's, we would agree that the material is too difficult for him and we would move him. But my friend's son, who just graduated with an engineering degree from a top school, had the same class in 10th grade. He DID study every night, did all his HW, went to extra help and earned B+ in the class. Since difficult child is getting C's without studying, it must mean he understands the material enough to pass on his own. He is not planning a career involving math and the state test is not required for graduation, just to get a honor recognition on his diploma. Last year's math test was the required one for graduation. He is technically finished with his required math courses for all but the top colleges but he plans to continue on anyway.
What do you think? Should I let him stay where he's happy or should I force him down into a lower level class where he might do no work and put in even less effort than he does now?
The only thing I am sure of is that the school does not have his best interests at heart and he, himself, is too stubborn and immature to even be aware of his own needs.
Thanks,
Sven
He has been in Honors math since grade 7. This year, he has run C - C+ all 3 quarters. School just ended and we don't know his final grade yet. Last night, his teacher sent an email basically suggesting that we remove him from Honors for next year and put him in what's called Accelerated. It's kids who used to be in Honors but dropped down for various reasons, primarily that the math was too hard in Honors or, as with several of difficult child's friends, they weren't happy with getting a B in Honors and wanted A's in the easier class.
For background, difficult child does not study and rarely does HW. He did not open the book to study for his final or his state test. In last year's state test, he got a 99. I don't know his score yet from the tests he took this past week. He took the SATs without studying in grade 9 and got a 620 on the math and 670 on verbal; he is very intelligent when he wants to be.
difficult child does not want to leave the Honors program. They can't force him out, they can only suggest it. I know that their reason as stated is that they don't want his GPA to be negatively effected but, in reality, it's because they want to be able to say that their Honors classes have only high achieving students in them. The SD does not care about potential, only present performance.
As his parent, I am torn. I have given up worrying about his GPA - he has no interest in attending the type of college kids with his brains and abilities should be able to go to and even the way it is, his GPA is still good enough to get into a decent state college. He is not motivated by grades. My concern is that if I take him out of Honors, his grade will go down because he will be bored and will do even less than he is now and that he will sabotage himself even more.
We basically told the school that, if he was studying for hours a day, doing all of his HW, going for extra help and tutoring and was getting those C's, we would agree that the material is too difficult for him and we would move him. But my friend's son, who just graduated with an engineering degree from a top school, had the same class in 10th grade. He DID study every night, did all his HW, went to extra help and earned B+ in the class. Since difficult child is getting C's without studying, it must mean he understands the material enough to pass on his own. He is not planning a career involving math and the state test is not required for graduation, just to get a honor recognition on his diploma. Last year's math test was the required one for graduation. He is technically finished with his required math courses for all but the top colleges but he plans to continue on anyway.
What do you think? Should I let him stay where he's happy or should I force him down into a lower level class where he might do no work and put in even less effort than he does now?
The only thing I am sure of is that the school does not have his best interests at heart and he, himself, is too stubborn and immature to even be aware of his own needs.
Thanks,
Sven