Has the High School violated my son's rights

[cyjeff]

I wouldn't go that far...

I have never heard of anyone needing a doctor's note to get out of AP classes... the only possible exception is AFTER the year and classes have started. If the boy waited until the school year started to begin shuffling classes, it seems - to the school and board - that Junior is worried about the workload and wants to graduate without putting forth too much effort.

This is exactly the behavior that is most disruptive to the school environment... because if they let one student downsize, a whole bunch of other kids will be standing in line to do the same thing after the first AP test... so they make it HARD to transfer after the school is in session... and make it a bit punitive.

Call it a punishment for waiting too long to change classes. Schools simply don't have the staff and/or other resources to continually allow students to change classes. Especially in high school where AP is a year long course separated into two quarters or semesters. If you change after the first quarter or semester, the student would have to make up all that work to understand the course work being taught now.

Are you saying that teachers should be ready, willing and able to reeducate students every quarter or semester to allow them to catch up to the students that DIDN'T change horses in midstream? My wife is an AP literature teacher... are you asking her to put in MORE than the 60 hours a week she puts in now?

Yes, the process is there to PREVENT exactly what Junior is trying to do so that all the rest of the students can get maximum value out of their class time.

As for money earned by a school for AP students... I have never heard of that before. A student in ANY chair is most important... AP chairs don't pay more to my knowledge.

 

[ecmst12]

I don't disagree that it sounds retaliatory. But it's not clear that retaliation would be illegal in this situation, for the reasons I already posted.

 

[BigMouthWino]

I don't disagree that it sounds retaliatory. But it's not clear that retaliation would be illegal in this situation, for the reasons I already posted.

It doesn't necessarily have to be illegal for the school board to reverse the superintendent.

 

[ecmst12]

But why would they? Child's parents are trying to do a "sneaky" end run around the rules. Administration did the right thing to discourage it.

 

[BigMouthWino]

But why would they? Child's parents are trying to do a "sneaky" end run around the rules. Administration did the right thing to discourage it.

This may come as a surprise to someone as smart as you ecmst, but not everyone is cut out for AP classes. Not every student can go to college on their parent's money or a scholastic scholarship. Here is a child that OP believes can obtain their college education with an athletic scholarship. The school should look out for the best interests of their students, not their budget.

 

[justalayman]

You stated above that your son stands to lose out on potential scholarships as he has tremendous athletic ability

. what an imagination. OP said nothing of the sort and given her situation and how she presented herself, I am sure she would have had it been applicable.

This means that you are faced with a situation that equals tens of thousands of dollars.

Junior college? If you are talking about a tremendous athlete, you are talking more like hundreds of thousands of dollars of scholarship money.

It sounds as though you've weighed these considerations carefully and it's time to fight for what is right for your son.

or stop being delusional and realize that somewhere around 3-6% of HS football players go on to play college with well under half of that receiving scholarships at a div I school and if he is actually capable of doing well in AP classes, he has a much better chance of attending a quality school and receiving a scholarship to pay for that school.

Is what the school doing retaliatory? Sure sounds like it to me.

but maybe, if he did drop the sports and stuck with the AP classes, he would be better off. But then again, since he has a doctors note, it might just be too late for that.

 

[tlawson]

Just to clear the air....he submitted his request to drop prior to school starting. I encouraged him to sign up for the classes last year and him being the kid he is didn't want to disappoint me. Once I found out he really didn't want to take the classes I thought he was just being a lazy kid and he told me how he really felt when he took AP classes last year and how he struggled and it was too much for him. Then he told me he wanted to switch career fields. He basically was doing what I wanted him to do and I didn't see the pressure I was putting on him. On another note everything has been resolved with the school district he was able to change his classes and with a little assistance from higher ups he is able to participate in after school activities and sports. Again thanks for all the feedback.

 

[ecmst12]

I hope YOU learned a valuable lesson from all this...

 

[tlawson]

I sure have.....I feel horrible and WONT make the same mistake with other kids! LESSON LEARNED