My kid needs help with education rights/law issue. .

My kid is an average student about to enter high school. He is being forced into a career/technical track even though he wants to go to college. We are running into roadblock after roadblock trying to get him registered for the college prep courses. We are realistic, we know he isn't Ivy League material, but we aren't willing to give up on his college chances at age 14. The high school requires teacher approval to get into the college prep track. My son's language arts teacher refused to give approval for a foreign language for anyone in his class. She also signed him up for an English class that "may" give him the background to pursue a post-secondary education. I want to fight this, but I need some direction. TIA

or vice principal.

That language arts teacher needs to be 'advised' about that stupid policy.

She supported the language arts teacher and apologized for the high school counselors who haven't responded to my calls because they are "busy". The sad thing is that the gifted kids all get a personal conference, so do the kids with IEPs, they pay attention to kids at the top and the bottom, but our school district doesn't give a shit about the kids in the middle.

then the principal if you don't get anywhere.

Good luck. This really sucks.

a school board member (or several), the State Board of Education, your state legislator, or the ACLU for starters. If the teacher didn't approve a single kid for college prep classes, that's wrong.

Worse case, look into transferring to another school with more reasonably-minded people. You might also inquire about tutoring over the summer.

I'm astounded about the foreign language issue. At our kids' schools in San Diego County, foreign language courses are required.

See the Superintendent in person. Make an appointment so you can't be ignored for showing up unannounced.

This sounds so outrageous. I think ACLU is the place to go, if you've already been turned down by counselors.

On the other hand, are the courses available that will put him in line for college? Three or four years of sciences and math, Four years of English and Social Studies, should prepare a student for college courses. Why shouldn't they be able to take a language?

--IMM

The official booklet says that the kids need to be in Honors English, Honors Science and Honors Algebra 1 if they want to go to college, but they need teacher recommendations to get into those classes. They also need teacher recommendation to take a foreign language as a freshman. The school district is offering AP courses to "gifted freshman", but won't let the average kids take college prep courses without teacher recommendation.

if your son does end up being forced into the "career" track, help him as much as you can, and encourage him to study EXTREMELY hard. there's a good chance of being pushed up anyways. (it happened to me) i can't believe that your school won't let kids try to get prepared for college. stinkin' of bullshit.

I was not in any AP classes, and I am a thesis short of a MA! One does not need AP classes to get to college.

Get the foreign language if at all possible, one learns more about grammar and sentence construction there then in any English class (where they tend to stress writing instead of structure). Just get him through HS and find somewhere with a good Junior College. In CA, one can transfer from the JC to a CSU without them even looking at high school grades or SAT scores. And two years in a JC is a lot cheaper than all four (or five, in my case) at a four-year college.

My high school didn't offer them, A few of my college classmates took them as high school seniors. I have never heard of offering AP classes to high school freshman. How can you take an AP BIO (supposedly college level course) when you have never taken high school biology. This past week has been an eye-opening experience.

I'll put my education up against any of the school counselors and I know I would "win".

I entered HS in the AP track in all but English. We had the middle school CHERUB's labeling. The top French students were C, the top Spanish were H. The middle French were E., okay you get the labeling.

A friend of mine, in middle school was at the lowest label, (dummy, to the smart kids).

At our 15th year reunion guess who was an MIT professor, yep, my dummy friend. Do whatever you have to to make sure he get's what he needs to succeed.

My friend has a gifted special needs child and found alot of discussion boards to guide her through the legal process. I would start goggling with all the characteristics of your problem. You will find somewhere (like she did, with a very unique situation, I might add) to give you the amunition you'll need to deal with the school district.

write a letter to the editor of the local paper, and call an attorney.

why waste your damn time in all these little pleadings with all the school hokies when they are openly discriminating against your child? Be the parent that calls bullshit and threatens to drag their name through the mud.

Most local news stations have some kind of advocate segment where they like to show off how they are helping their local community by getting involved in people's problems. This is another avenue. You don't have to do any of this stuff, just threaten to do it. Be the parent they have to appease, the one they don't want to mess with.

Talk to his counselor, if that doesn't work, go to the BoE. If the counselor proves uncooperative, make sure you mention that you'll go to the board. The other word of great fright is "civil suit".
You probably have no leg to stand on, but have a lawyer write them a threatening letter and watch the opportunities bloom.

Good luck.

We've had 3 superintendents in 3 years. One quit after less than a year.

Lord knows I changed my major enough times. lol

But your example shows why schools generally do not want the BoE involved. So usually it will be enough to bring the dreaded word up.

My friend really was beside herself. The District is one of the top, if not, the top in PA. They are in an affluent area. She thought that the District had so much power on their side, that she was going thru the motion of protecting her son.

Well, guess what, she had so much ammunition going in there, from the websites, that when she left she thought no chance. I called her a week later and the District had agreed to everything she requested. (Neither of us expected everything, but anything would be helpful).

She and I both think, they will try to intimidate parents into accepting the cheapest option for district, for your child, because most people will accept it and back down.

Look, at unfortunately how many children are diagnosed ADHD. Her son's diagnosis by the school and front line Psychologist was so off the chart wrong, they prescribed Prozac, which had a very negative affect on him. Sorry, the point is, they (the system), whoever that is, always tries to take the easiest way out.

My son met with his science teacher this morning. She signed a recommendation to get him into the honors science class. His history teacher is also willing to go to bat for him even though there are no social studies classes available to freshmen.

Call them now. Your son has the right to take any classes offered. I hope once you get him in that he appreciates it enough to do well.

My father ran into similar problems with me when I was in school. His approach to solving the matter was to spend as much face time as he could at the school letting them know that he wouldn't take their crap.