If schools weren't so concerned with testing, then there wouldn't be a need to play "catch-up."
Again, AP has nothing to do with high stakes testing. You're mixing up your arguments. And I don't know a single teacher who is in favor of all the emphasis on the high stakes testing. Those requirements come down from on high, as states adopt Common Core. It's the politicians and state administrators who are "so concerned with testing" and not the teachers. But the AP is an exam that high school kids take to receive college credit for courses they take in high school. It's not "catching up", it's getting ahead.Personally, that's a pretty light load. I was in high school ten years ago, and I had to read 5 books every summer.
Ten years ago, there was no high stakes testing. So I'm a bit confused as to your point. Are you saying that, even with all the high stakes testing, you had to work harder 10 years ago than kids today?? So YOU were the ones who had to "play 'catch-up' ????"
Your daughter hopefully isn't being forced into doing that other stuff. Education is
so important throughout life. (I agree with the AP stuff- it's good to take those classes, but there's no need to take those exams.
While I happen to agree that they're not for everyone, they do save a lot of money for a lot of peole.Why on earth would you sit through the course and NOT take the exam??? (And where did the OP mention the exam?? She's concerned with the summer workload, not the AP exam.) Perhaps more important, AP credits open up the opportunity for college kids to take classes they're interested in,or that will help them professionally, having gotten the more basic courses out of the way in high school. ) Complaining that there's too much work just instills in your daughter that if it's too hard, it's not worth doing.
The OP was posting on a message board, not suggesting that her daughter not do the work. Hey, she's learning how to multitask- something she needs to learn in college! (Unless she's getting her Bachelor's in Partying...
From all indications, her daughter is a hard working student in honors courses who has been accepted into an AP course... why on earth would you read that into it????)
To the other posters that are complaining that school breaks are meant for doing nothing, I feel bad for your kids.
Insulting other posters, particularly in an area in which you have no experience, doesn't lend any credibility to your point.They need to enjoy life, but they also need to be shown that there is more to life than video games and binge drinking on the weekends (I'm sure your kids don't do that stuff, but I know plenty of high schoolers who prefer to drink and smoke instead of doing something productive
And I know several thousand who are not; I teach in a large high school. Our kids, regardless of their academic track, do so much for the community!!! The fact that the teens you know make remarkably bad choices is not the determinant of policy. Sure, some troll message boards, making bad arguments and looking to insult peole. The vast majority of teens, however, are wondeful kids who are trying to make their way in a diificult world. They're volunteering, they're giving their all to sports, they're concerned about their families and friends. ). That being said, if you don't like the school,
where did the OP say that??? She was unhappy about the summer workloadjust homeschool your kids
Sure, because it's all that easy.. I'm sure you know more than the educators who are paid to teach it.
Whether that' s meant to be sarcastic or not, it's intended to insult someone. Either it's people like me, with 28 years of experience teaching high school, or the OP, whose academic background we're absolutely unaware of. Perhaps she has her PhD in history, and would be very well qualified to teach her daughter that AP course.
