Ugh. Math Class Conundrum

[carolinamama]

I'm not okay with secret classes. But also I still want DS in the secret class. DS will be behind his most competitive peers if he doesn't get the secret class, or so I thought before I learned about this charter school alternative. I think the charter school solves this problem. I also don't see why the kids who are ahead get extra math but the numerous kids who were struggling over distance learning through the past year don't get a special class.

I bet you aren't the only parent who feels this way. We all want the best for our kids but it often goes against what is best for the student body of a school as a whole. Having the class is fine, but the lack of objective selection criteria and calling it secret feels wrong. I don't have a great answer here and there is no wrong one. I feel like you should enroll in the alternative math program and tell the school why you chose that route but I also know you are weighing it out since you have other kids there as well.

[westwoodmom04]

I would make sure the curriculum in the "secret" class will be sufficient to really prepare him for the high school course if there is a way to do that. One of my kid's schools recently started offering summer math classes to move kids up to the Honors level (not free), and they simply aren't teaching kids enough over the summer to enable them to succeed in the class. All the kids who moved "up" over last summer are doing poorly this academic year in math, many struggling just to pass the class. Since this is high school and these grades "count," its a bit of a disaster. It is not directly affecting my kid, but I feel really bad for her friends who are struggling. The school also offers the option of taking double math classes during the academic year, and those kids are able to do well in the higher level class because they are getting the appropriate foundation (I think maybe your older son did this?).