Warning: Soapbox Ahead

Watch out people. I went to a Jr. High meeting the other night regarding Honors classes that Isabelle will be taking next year. I was pretty nervous as I know nothing about the public schools in our area or how they work and I want to make sure I get her signed up for everything correctly.

I should have known it was going to be a difficult night when I walked in and there were no seats left. I had to stand for over an hour in my high heels. Nooo, I wasn't dressed up to impress the other parents, I had just come from a funeral. Although, I think I looked pretty impressive. Sad, but impressive.

Until I started shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Then back on the heels...then on one foot. Then the other. At one point I am pretty sure I looked like a flamingo.

So, I was learning about the honors classes. The school district I live in is said to be one of the best. Great. Awesome. I have been hearing this for years. Then, I was dumbfounded with what I heard.

They opened up the meeting by telling us that for years, all of the 6 junior highs had been running their own individual honors programs even though the kids feed into the same 3 highschools. They said that each Jr. High had their own version of what "honors" meant and they had been working for the past year and a half to reform the programs and make them consistent.

What? Everyone was doing their own thing? Within one district? It never occurred to someone to collaborate with the other schools? I had no idea that each school could even have it's own curriculum. No clue.

Parent asks: Why are there no honors science classes in Jr. high? (there are in highschool)

School responds: Because out of all the elementary schools in our district (22), only 2 have designated Science teachers. The other 20 schools may or may not choose to use science kits in their classrooms. Due to this, 7th grade science can be the first science lab some of these kids have ever had- and none of them are ready for honors obviously.

What? Not all kids out there in elementary school are getting science class?? Am I in an episode of the Twilight Zone?

Parent asks: Why do some Jr. Highs have science books from the 1980's, and others from 1994?

School responds: New science curriculums were purchased in 1994 by the school district and not all the teachers liked the new science programs. Those teachers kept the curriculums from the 80's and continue to use those books to this day. Next year (thank GAWWWD) all the Jr. Highs will be using brand new science curriculums.

Umm...seriously? There are kids out there using books that don't even reference the internet, and all of the scientific breakthroughs of the past 25 years???

Parent asks: Why is there no honors History offered in 7th grade?

School responds: Because not all 6th graders have had social studies before, so we teach our State history to all 7th graders as it is a state requirement.

Are they kidding me? Really? Both my kids were taught our state history in 4th grade, and I had kind of assumed that ALL 4th graders were getting this.

Parent Asks: What if my child doesn't qualify for an honors math class in 8th grade? It sounds like they will never be able to take honors math after that because each class builds on the previous one.

School responds: Your child could take an accelerated Algebra 1 class in summer school in order to take honors math in 9th grade. However (and she really said this), you don't want to push your child too much in math. We are seeing a lot of math burnout at the highschool level and the kids will choose not to take math beyond their 10th grade year.

I was throwing up at this point. We don't want to push them??? A 16 year old experiences math burnout? I had the longest stream of expletives running through my brain.

She then said that one of the school board initiatives is to have more kids successfully complete math beyond Algebra 2. That is regular 10th grade math folks. Are we really afraid to tell our kids that they need more math?

The next time I saw Isabelle I told her that she is expected to successfully complete 4 years of HONORS math after this, and 4 years of foreign language, and as much honors english and history that I can shove down her throat.

If my kids want to make a choice in highschool, it will be weather they want to pack their lunch or buy it at school. It will be if they want to wear a coat or not when I make them WALK all 3 blocks to get there. It will be if they want to finish their chores before or after they study for the next week's test.