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Someone who is sending her daughter to a neighborhood public school posted this in a local educational discussion group I participate in. It exemplifies the high-handed attitude many public school officials will have when there is effectively no competition. We need competition among schools through vouchers, as McCain has proposed. I live in a very blue state, so this woman is probably a Democrat. It would be good if the Republicans could broaden their base by becoming the party that is more trusted on education.
1 posted on 09/19/2008 3:15:48 PM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

I am planning to enroll her in [a private math school] to do some more advanced work in a structured setting but that doesn’t solve the problem of this year’s math class.
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The above will likely not solve the problem...but,...Hey, I suppose it’s worth investigating.

The private schools in my area were just as rigid as the government school and similarly incapable of dealing with children who are 2 to 3 standard deviations above the norm.


62 posted on 09/19/2008 9:12:55 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are NOT stupid)
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To: reaganaut1
What state are you in?

I would consider having your daughter take the GED and start her on college.

If not, a dual credit class that allows 11 Y.O. students.

66 posted on 09/20/2008 8:20:40 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: reaganaut1
I have a lot of experience with young adults (medical school) who have been accelerated 1-4 years in their pre-collegiate education.

It's almost always a bad idea.

Every once in a great while, there is an individual whose maturity accelerates along with their academics.

But that's rare.

Much more commonly, people who skip grades wind up lazy and bored. A student who is "bored" with sixth grade math is at risk of chronic boredom and cynicism - as an emerging personality trait - and acceleration does nothing to address this.

Just my 2c - but it's based on a big sample size.

And, BTW, I've also just finished 3 years as Chairman of a Christian school.

Most parents who are seeking acceleration for their children "have issues".

67 posted on 09/20/2008 8:25:55 AM PDT by Jim Noble (When He rolls up His sleeves, He ain't just puttin' on the Ritz)
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To: reaganaut1
Just tell the teachers that you don't care what they think is "appropriate." Tell them it's not their call to make.

Trust me, if the teachers are at all worth it, they'll be happy to have a child with an involved parent.

70 posted on 09/20/2008 12:36:58 PM PDT by jude24
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To: reaganaut1

I tutor kids, mostly in Middle School math. Having homeschooled my own son K-12 (tho he graduated at 15, in ‘10th’), I realized the benefits of working one-on-one AND of letting them go at their own speed.

I have many math students who are held back because either there are not enough spots in the faster class or their class schedule does not allow them to be in the more advanced math. They are BORED to death, ready to move on, frustrated beyond belief by the kids in their classes who do not understand basic math/ whom they have to wait for.

I would teach my daughter math myself, if I were you. You might have to homeschool her to do that. The public schools should not be able to control her academic advancement. Perhaps a private school will accomodate your daughter’s strengths, but don’t count on it.

The schools make math seem terribly hard, like you have to have one year of every sub-category before you go on. It is just not so. We used Straight-Forward math workbooks, which covered concepts one by one and did not have chapters worth of problems to work, and we worked very quickly through advanced math, into pre-calculus. My son is in advanced, advanced math classes in college, studying Computer Science, and his math foundation from these simple books was very strong.

You can do it. You just have to see beyond THEIR plan for your life.


71 posted on 09/20/2008 3:08:23 PM PDT by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
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To: reaganaut1
My 7th grader is taking Algebra. 20% of his grade is taking Algebra. Tell them to move to a school district in Newsweek's top 500.
73 posted on 09/20/2008 5:56:22 PM PDT by TaxRelief (Walmart: Keeping my family on-budget since 1993.)
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