Earth to school....huh? what? where?

[primsong]

This is our first year in the public school system and I have to admit it hasn't been too promising - the red tape is incredible. I may be mentioning it here from time to time in part to help myself see what's going on and how long it takes...

To be brief, she's way ahead of the level they are at and could take her GED today if there weren't a social stigma against GED's as equating "drop out" status. As a Freshman, they offer *nothing* advanced for her - It took four tries to get ahold of her "counselor" (schedule guru) at the school, who politely brushed me off (we'll see when she's older...). yadda yadda. Yeah, I know they maust face lots of parents who go "my child is a genius!" but this is ridiculous.

Meanwhile she's twiddling her thumbs pulling straight A's and bored out of her mind, studying my old college textbooks to keep herself busy. She debates with the teachers, helps with the staff at our school across the street after she gets out, and so on. Anything to keep her from falling into the apathetic trap.

I've enrolled her at the college, who will take her as soon as she turns 16 and will let her earn her diploma concurrent with college credit towards a degree. That gives us a year to "kill." Now we're trying to get advanced testing for her at the high school, to move her up to a higher level class for this year at least. Their response? They don't have that. No advanced placement until Junior year. "Maybe next trimester will be more challenging." Yeah. Right.

Excuse me? She's supposed to just sit there for two cotton-pickin' years, waiting to just get older??? I don't think so.

She's taking the placement testing at the college next week. This high-school stuff is useless.

Comments

[maidoforange.livejournal.com]

Yeah, K-12 can be rather pointless. The only real interest my mother ever took in my education was to get me into the gifted program when I was in 7th grade. It helped a little but Bluebell is, no doubt, smarter than me.

Anyway, if it helps, I know two friends of my brother's who went to college on GEDs. One is an engineer and one is a lawyer. It is doable these days. I wish I had done it instead of, essentially, wasting time in high school. I know you will make the best decision for your girl and help her all you can, (((Prim))).

[primsong.livejournal.com]

The stigma for the GED is less than it used to be in society, but the military still lumps it in with dropouts and homeschoolers (rolls eyes...that the two should be lumped is ridiculous enough in my eyes...). This means if she ever does pursue the Air Force, (one option, as she wants to go into linguistics and translation) certain promotions and perks would be closed to her. Phooey.