Unfortunately, in leftist domains there is a strong desire not to challenge the children or let them take on too much. This is especially so with minority children. My story:
I originally attended a bad inner city high school. Credits in the district were awarded based on hours spent in the classroom, and NOT demonstrated knowledge. So my desire to advance without wasting my time on familiar subjects was unfulfilled. There were no choices, no options. My English teacher told me I could probably teach the class myself, yet, I had to sit there, bored out of my mind, watching other students misbehave and learning nothing. It was like glorified daycare.
In the ninth grade they forced me to take Algebra I. Not only did I know the subject very well, I had already taken this class in the eighth grade. But that didn't count. I made my case to the counsellor to allow me to at least take Algebra II. But the "well-meaning" lackey lady worried that I wouldn't be able to handle it, as I was a poor black child. I fought it to little avail. I took my appeal to the head of the math department and we struck a secret deal two months before the end of the school year. I'd have to teach myself Algebra II at home, and if I passed final exams, he'd pull strings. I didn't know about formal homeschooling at the time so I just took a textbook home, taught myself as best I could, passed final exams and received credit. Even though I had spent the year in an Algebra I class and passed those exams as well, they didn't give me credit for that.
Left-wing bureaucracies care more about feelings than achievement.
Incredible story.
Congratulations on pulling yourself up. It's an honor to have you on this site.
...I just wish I had that kind of ambition.
Credits in the district were awarded based on hours spent in the classroom, and NOT demonstrated knowledge.
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The same thing happened to my brother. He was quite gifted as well, but he was so bored by the whole thing he skipped class a lot. They were going to make him re-take his senior year because of it, even though he had straight "A"'s. He ultimately dropped out and got his GED instead of retaking his entire year.
He wasn't black, but the liberal mind set that ran his school was trying to hold him back as well. Good thing for both of you that you found ways around it. Although I have to say, I think your approach was a lot more responsible than his. :)
Wow. Congratulations for having that kind of motivation.
BTTT
Both our older sons attended that Catholic high school, and our youngest son is enrolled there now. It is a rigorous school, and it instills responsibility in the boys so they come out (most of them) well behaved young men.
Our daughter didn't want to return to school, so she'll be finishing up high school in 2006, with several college classes under her belt!