Tabishland

And this was the year everyone taught mythology.

I'm a little disturbed that Ms. Ray was teaching Religious Literature. Anyone remember that class? I'm guessing it wasn't excerpts from the Koran.
 

I don't recall Religious Lit, but I do remember taking Broadway Scene.

Did anyone have Edith Schaeffer for class? I don't remember her at all. Maybe I should don my special counselor sweater that gives me supernatural powers of understanding and recall.....


Nope...Still nuthin'.
 

I'm a bit confused over Ms. Ray's sponsorship of L'Indien. Was there a french speaking pep club at the high school that I've forgotten?

I don't remember the teacher's name, but I do remember taking Mass Communications and the same class with a different name like Media Communications or something. They let us use the video camera and tape record stuff. They didn't really seem much like classes.

Also, I had nobel prize authors and remember a typical "paper" I wrote on Sartre. In usual Gallanar fashion (I should quialify this by saying "Ian Gallanar fashion", my father is actually an excellent researcher), I let the semester go by without actually doing any research on Jean-Paul, nor do I think I actually read anything by him beyond maybe the first half of No Exit.

I wrote some bullshit paper that didn't mean anything. What was I so busy with that I didn't have time to do any school work? Grape wrestling? Oi!
 

I think sliding through classes has something to do with being a teen. Em and many of her friends take AP classes, all of which have "summer requirements". Of course they all think this is easily done so they all wait til the last minute to do the work. She did Chem while on vacation (oh that was fun)and the past 2 weeks have been nothing but History. With the web the research is easy, but the papers...still take forever, and I have to wonder how much thought goes into them. Everything is due on Monday, so you know how fun the weekend will be. Actually she does have a fun weekend planned: birthday party, sleepover, lunch with friends, pizza and a movie so I'm not sure about her papers. When asked why she waited til now to do the work, she replied, "I was on *vacation*!" Kids.
 

My favorite English class was "Beowulf, Beatles and Beyond." Taught by Ms.Hutton. She was awsome. We actually read all of Beowulf, analyzed the Beatles, both lyrics and pop culture phenomenon and, well, being the second semester of my senior year, I don't actually remember the Beyond.
 

Here's something no one is going to want to hear (no one with high school kids at least): The AP classes your kids are busting their butts over are becoming meaningless.

Remember when we were in school how there were 2 AP classes - English and Math, meant to accelerate you to testing out of First Year English/Math in college? Now we have students applying with no less than 12 AP classes! AP Psychology - what the heck is that? The problem is that the AP classes are now meaningless - there is no way to tell what is actually Accelerated and what is actually a HS ploy to beef up it's academic standing. So in our department (which isn't to say every department at CMU or even every university) we completely ignore AP classes unless there is documentation from the School outlining the curriculum and the accelerated content. Guess how often we get that information? Since there are no standards by which to guide them, there is no way to tell which classes actually have accelerated content until you actually get the student in class and see what they know. And since just about every student in our program has AP English and none of them can write a cohesive paper, much less a complete sentence, I have my doubts.

You'd think the conversation would be : "So and so really can't write" but it is in fact the opposite "Hey, guess what! So and so can actually write!" The latter is the exception, the former the rule.

It's really infuriating. People believe you can't apply to colleges or get in "good schools" without AP classes and the colleges are starting to take AP with a big grain of salt. Catch 22.

Miranda has been invited to apply for the "gifted program". What does that mean I ask? Well, turns out the kids apply, then are accepted or rejected. But if they are rejected, they can request an interview and try again. If they are still rejected, the parents can complain and their kid gets in. So what's gifted about it I ask? Well, it still looks good on their transcripts I'm told. A third grade transcript. Guess how many transcripts, high school or elementary school I've ever seen? Zero. Admissions may look at them to verify QPA but I can't imagine 3rd grade gifted program shows up or even matters. But that's what parents are being told.

Eric might have something to say here...


But you still shouldn't procrastate all summer Emily. Teachers can tell when something was done the night before, believe me. They also can see you whispering in the back and passing notes. Trust me, we were only fooling ourselves thinking we were getting away with that stuff. Teachers decide who and when they're going to bust.

The Rant Switch is now in the "Off" position.
 

Joe that "gifted" route is so familiar. Everything you said is exactly true. The only "benefit" seems to be in the label. At IHS, some AP classes are by invitation and others are open enrollment. We've been told it's very easy to tell which classes are which based on the overall AP test scores. In addition to AP there's dual enrollment between the high schools and IUP. High schoolers pay half the tuition and Rendell picks up the rest. But you can only take a course at IUP that's NOT offered at the high school. So Psych is out, but Soc is in. Many Seniors spend half their day in AP classes at the high school, then commute 2 miles for college classes. Next year there's talk of a big teacher strike. Guess where the senior class will be spending their senior year?

It is good to have that heads up on AP classes. Em really does not want to take certain AP classes. I guess now it'll be easier to pick and choose.
 

Like anything, AP isn't all bad. Just the false expections it's starting to create.

If a student can write, express an original idea, find Turkey on a globe, multiply fractions, knows who was President in 1890 and can tell the difference between shit and shinola, they'll be fine.

Strike at IHS? Seniors going to IUP? What will they think of next? Those darn teachers - probably want a living wage or something crazy like that.

When I hear about teacher's strikes I always think of that line in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE from the delightful Mr. Welch: " It isn't enough she slaves teaching your stupid kids how
to read and write, and you have to bawl her out . . ."
 

Joe I have one additional thought on gifted programs. Once your child is labeled "gifted", you'll have a GIEP (gifted individualized education plan). It's supposed to ensure that your child gets the individualized instruction they need because they're so gosh darn smart. Oftentimes it means they get extra work or harder work and you have to watch out for that. The true benefit is that it is a legal document that entitles you as a parent to request something (or someone) for your child. It can help with skipping an entry level class or with requesting a certain teacher for your child. It's an extra bit of leverage that, if used judiciously, can benefit your child's education so in that sense, if you can get it, it may help.
 

Joe, thanks for your thoughts on this. My son was invited into the "Talented and Gifted" program in third grade. The first thing I did was write a letter to the school district complaining that it's called "Talented and Gifted." Talk about the message you're sending to the kids that don't get into the program!!

Then when he didn't get in to the program the next year, or get into honors classes, or do all the APs, it's been a constant worry that we are behind the edge, but I just cannot be one of those pushy parents. He's a good student and a bright kid, but we are surrounded by over acheivers and you really wonder if you're doing the right thing.

Eric, I'd like to know your thoughts on AP classes, too, if you have a minute.