Redshirting consequences at Lafayette

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This rage around (gasp!) possible disrespect for the apparently sacrosanct birthday cutoff date - which was several months later when I moved here not that long ago - is (sorry) ridiculous. I say this as someone with the opposite complaint as these families have: my own kid - who would have been on the right side of the old, pre standardized test era cutoff - now has to spend 90% of PK4 as a 5 year old learning absolutely nothing new, because they’re a few weeks on the wrong side of this apparently magic, infallible and universally applicable birthday cutoff.

Maybe a solution might be, you know - just let people make decisions for their own damn kids, whom they know better than anyone else does…or at least, create an appeals process where you can advocate for a smidge of flexibility for your child. Are you seriously going to contend there are ZERO kids in the system who might not benefit from being in an earlier or later grade anytime in the four years of school before age 7…even though a significant percentage would have been in a different grade at the same age as recently as 2012 (or even now, if they lived somewhere less enlightened like [checks notes] New York City, which has both a 12/31 cutoff and much greater flexibility around delays)?

Kids aren’t cookie cutter identical - there’s a VERY wide range of abilities and needs. Forcing a delayed kid into a grade he’s not ready for isn’t great. Neither is holding back a gifted kid - especially in a school system with almost zero support for gifted kids to begin with besides grade advancement! - for the first four years of their DCPS education (long enough for them to not only fail to reach their potential, but develop a deep and abiding aversion to school.) If grade skipping is an option for some advanced kids - why not during the most pointless years of schooling, where you learn the least? If some socially delayed kids need extra time to mature - why not let them start a bit later? The objective isn’t supposed to be making everyone “follow the rules” - which usually represent zero burden for those who insist loudest, who seem to delight in forcing those most affected to suffer. It’s supposed to be supporting and educating kids.

Pretend these women live in a neighborhood or belong to a demographic that you believe allows them the right to advocate for their children. Pretend that all of us do. You can still make whatever choices you want for your own kids - if you find DC to be infallible and all decisions of its education system to be perfect ecosystem and bear no questioning, by all means act accordingly. Others may beg to differ. Get over it.

Why so many SAT words? Did you redshirting and therefore think you’re smarter than everyone else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a rigid cutoff protects kids who's parents can't afford to play with the cutoff. Every class only has kids within a year of each other. If parents who could afford to pay daycare for one more year or send to private school for a year are allowed to redshirt, then the distribution in the classrooms grows. What happens to the September birthdays who went on time who are now over a year younger then the redshirted kids? It's not fair to them to be in class with kids who could be up to 23 months older...or realistically, 18 months older. People most often redshirt boys. Why should my petit September birthday girl be in class with a boy 18 or 20 months older than her? The physical size of the kids will make a difference for schools sports, but also now teachers will have to teach across more than a year of developmental differences and capabilities. Rich parents will redshirt, parents of less means won't, and kids of less means will suffer. If these parents want this kind of redshirting choice, then they are free to send their kids to private school.

Because boys' brain development is delayed in comparison with girls, that's why. And in public schools, we would reward kids who can sit still, keep quiet, do worksheets, and take tests, which heavily favors girls. It's both biology and our crappy educational system.

This is so made up. My SN kid could do all those things. Boys are fine. They are just dumbed down and shamed. You are the problem, not boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, MCPS says children who will turn five years old between September 2 and October 15, 2025 are eligible for consideration for the early entrance to kindergarten process.

They are, but it is very, very rare that this is approved. I don't know anyone who has gone through the process, myself included, and had their kid start early. Our daughter had done 2 years of PK in DCPS and was an early reader, and we were told she wasn't ready. The state requires MCPS to evaluate kids, but not to place them early. Meanwhile, red shirting of summer birthday kids is relatively common, especially with how academic kindergarten in MCPS is. (We left DC before K, so not sure if the same in true in DCPS.) -NP

Its a very sketchy evaluation as they aren't clear the standards and it is different at every school. I don't think holding back in MCPS is that common, maybe in the wealthier schools but I don't know any kids held back. Our school wouldn't let us test. We went private for a few years as I wasn't holding my kid back for the school being selfish and self serving.

Definitely more common with people with wealth/income because they can afford another year of PK.

It also helps that MD explicitly allows this -- all you have to do is file a form with your school district that your child is not ready and will be in PK, and you can delay K by a year. See this form, which per the start is automatically approved upon submission: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/forms/pdf/560-19.pdf

"I am applying for a one-year exemption to delay my child's entrance to kindergarten due to immaturity."

Interesting about MCPS. My brother didn't send his kid to kindergarten until halfway through the year. Not sure how they managed that. April birthday, too, so not like he just made the cut off. A very clear case of should have been sent on time

I'm not entirely clear on what happened during that half year of kindergarten, but MCPS had him repeat a full year of kinder. I do wonder if he had the full year of they would have pushed him to first grade.

My kid skipped K. They didn't have to repeat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an argument for red shirting: it potentially can save the school and District money on IEP and 504s. It also helps keep the older class on track by not having a student who is emotionally immature or who would benefit from doing a lower grade level work.

Its a tough issues for families and schools where kids are near the cut off date.

It doesn't save as if a child is delayed they will need help and the longer you wait the more a child will struggle and the more help they will need. If your child is struggling and you know it as a parent you need to get them help before K. If your child needs to be held back, you failed to get your child the help they needed if its something like immaturity. However, no kids should be mature going into K. No 5 year old is mature.

Rigid thinking about the cutoffs is how public schools usually operate, however that doesn't make it right.

If your kid is within a few months of the cutoff, making them young for the grade, any immaturity can easily be within normal.

Take a kid who is old for their grade and doing well, then change the cutoffs and make them young for grade instead, and they may struggle.

The cutoffs are arbitrary.

There needs to be a cut off. No kids are mature. And, an older kid isn't more mature, they are older. If they are with younger kids and behaving as those kids are, they are immature. Its insane to have kids 2 years apart. Its more of an isssue when you have a 13-14 year old taking classes with a 18-19-20 year old in high school.

Why do we need rigid cutoffs? Also why would a 13-14 yo be taking classes with an 18-20 yo?

Many private schools operate with some flexibility around the cutoffs. They also offer a far superior product to DCPS.

Really, you don't know why? Math, electives like foreign language, ap, arts. My child as a Freshman was in multiple classes with juniors and seniors. As a sophmore, they are the only sophomores with juniors and seniors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an argument for red shirting: it potentially can save the school and District money on IEP and 504s. It also helps keep the older class on track by not having a student who is emotionally immature or who would benefit from doing a lower grade level work.

Its a tough issues for families and schools where kids are near the cut off date.

It doesn't save as if a child is delayed they will need help and the longer you wait the more a child will struggle and the more help they will need. If your child is struggling and you know it as a parent you need to get them help before K. If your child needs to be held back, you failed to get your child the help they needed if its something like immaturity. However, no kids should be mature going into K. No 5 year old is mature.

Rigid thinking about the cutoffs is how public schools usually operate, however that doesn't make it right.

If your kid is within a few months of the cutoff, making them young for the grade, any immaturity can easily be within normal.

Take a kid who is old for their grade and doing well, then change the cutoffs and make them young for grade instead, and they may struggle.

The cutoffs are arbitrary.

There needs to be a cut off. No kids are mature. And, an older kid isn't more mature, they are older. If they are with younger kids and behaving as those kids are, they are immature. Its insane to have kids 2 years apart. Its more of an isssue when you have a 13-14 year old taking classes with a 18-19-20 year old in high school.

Why do we need rigid cutoffs? Also why would a 13-14 yo be taking classes with an 18-20 yo?

Many private schools operate with some flexibility around the cutoffs. They also offer a far superior product to DCPS.

Really, you don't know why? Math, electives like foreign language, ap, arts. My child as a Freshman was in multiple classes with juniors and seniors. As a sophmore, they are the only sophomores with juniors and seniors.

That school sounds awful, this is not normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an argument for red shirting: it potentially can save the school and District money on IEP and 504s. It also helps keep the older class on track by not having a student who is emotionally immature or who would benefit from doing a lower grade level work.

Its a tough issues for families and schools where kids are near the cut off date.

It doesn't save as if a child is delayed they will need help and the longer you wait the more a child will struggle and the more help they will need. If your child is struggling and you know it as a parent you need to get them help before K. If your child needs to be held back, you failed to get your child the help they needed if its something like immaturity. However, no kids should be mature going into K. No 5 year old is mature.

Rigid thinking about the cutoffs is how public schools usually operate, however that doesn't make it right.

If your kid is within a few months of the cutoff, making them young for the grade, any immaturity can easily be within normal.

Take a kid who is old for their grade and doing well, then change the cutoffs and make them young for grade instead, and they may struggle.

The cutoffs are arbitrary.

There needs to be a cut off. No kids are mature. And, an older kid isn't more mature, they are older. If they are with younger kids and behaving as those kids are, they are immature. Its insane to have kids 2 years apart. Its more of an isssue when you have a 13-14 year old taking classes with a 18-19-20 year old in high school.

Why do we need rigid cutoffs? Also why would a 13-14 yo be taking classes with an 18-20 yo?

Many private schools operate with some flexibility around the cutoffs. They also offer a far superior product to DCPS.

Really, you don't know why? Math, electives like foreign language, ap, arts. My child as a Freshman was in multiple classes with juniors and seniors. As a sophmore, they are the only sophomores with juniors and seniors.

That school sounds awful, this is not normal.

It’s very normal when you have freshman in the highest level orchestra or chorus or precal for math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an argument for red shirting: it potentially can save the school and District money on IEP and 504s. It also helps keep the older class on track by not having a student who is emotionally immature or who would benefit from doing a lower grade level work.

Its a tough issues for families and schools where kids are near the cut off date.

It doesn't save as if a child is delayed they will need help and the longer you wait the more a child will struggle and the more help they will need. If your child is struggling and you know it as a parent you need to get them help before K. If your child needs to be held back, you failed to get your child the help they needed if its something like immaturity. However, no kids should be mature going into K. No 5 year old is mature.

Rigid thinking about the cutoffs is how public schools usually operate, however that doesn't make it right.

If your kid is within a few months of the cutoff, making them young for the grade, any immaturity can easily be within normal.

Take a kid who is old for their grade and doing well, then change the cutoffs and make them young for grade instead, and they may struggle.

The cutoffs are arbitrary.

There needs to be a cut off. No kids are mature. And, an older kid isn't more mature, they are older. If they are with younger kids and behaving as those kids are, they are immature. Its insane to have kids 2 years apart. Its more of an isssue when you have a 13-14 year old taking classes with a 18-19-20 year old in high school.

Why do we need rigid cutoffs? Also why would a 13-14 yo be taking classes with an 18-20 yo?

Many private schools operate with some flexibility around the cutoffs. They also offer a far superior product to DCPS.

Really, you don't know why? Math, electives like foreign language, ap, arts. My child as a Freshman was in multiple classes with juniors and seniors. As a sophmore, they are the only sophomores with juniors and seniors.

That school sounds awful, this is not normal.

It’s very normal when you have freshman in the highest level orchestra or chorus or precal for math.

No, that doesn’t happen at any decent school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an argument for red shirting: it potentially can save the school and District money on IEP and 504s. It also helps keep the older class on track by not having a student who is emotionally immature or who would benefit from doing a lower grade level work.

Its a tough issues for families and schools where kids are near the cut off date.

It doesn't save as if a child is delayed they will need help and the longer you wait the more a child will struggle and the more help they will need. If your child is struggling and you know it as a parent you need to get them help before K. If your child needs to be held back, you failed to get your child the help they needed if its something like immaturity. However, no kids should be mature going into K. No 5 year old is mature.

Rigid thinking about the cutoffs is how public schools usually operate, however that doesn't make it right.

If your kid is within a few months of the cutoff, making them young for the grade, any immaturity can easily be within normal.

Take a kid who is old for their grade and doing well, then change the cutoffs and make them young for grade instead, and they may struggle.

The cutoffs are arbitrary.

There needs to be a cut off. No kids are mature. And, an older kid isn't more mature, they are older. If they are with younger kids and behaving as those kids are, they are immature. Its insane to have kids 2 years apart. Its more of an isssue when you have a 13-14 year old taking classes with a 18-19-20 year old in high school.

Why do we need rigid cutoffs? Also why would a 13-14 yo be taking classes with an 18-20 yo?

Many private schools operate with some flexibility around the cutoffs. They also offer a far superior product to DCPS.

Really, you don't know why? Math, electives like foreign language, ap, arts. My child as a Freshman was in multiple classes with juniors and seniors. As a sophmore, they are the only sophomores with juniors and seniors.

That school sounds awful, this is not normal.

It’s very normal when you have freshman in the highest level orchestra or chorus or precal for math.

No, that doesn’t happen at any decent school.

A decent school allows students to take classes appropriate to their ability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an argument for red shirting: it potentially can save the school and District money on IEP and 504s. It also helps keep the older class on track by not having a student who is emotionally immature or who would benefit from doing a lower grade level work.

Its a tough issues for families and schools where kids are near the cut off date.

It doesn't save as if a child is delayed they will need help and the longer you wait the more a child will struggle and the more help they will need. If your child is struggling and you know it as a parent you need to get them help before K. If your child needs to be held back, you failed to get your child the help they needed if its something like immaturity. However, no kids should be mature going into K. No 5 year old is mature.

Rigid thinking about the cutoffs is how public schools usually operate, however that doesn't make it right.

If your kid is within a few months of the cutoff, making them young for the grade, any immaturity can easily be within normal.

Take a kid who is old for their grade and doing well, then change the cutoffs and make them young for grade instead, and they may struggle.

The cutoffs are arbitrary.

There needs to be a cut off. No kids are mature. And, an older kid isn't more mature, they are older. If they are with younger kids and behaving as those kids are, they are immature. Its insane to have kids 2 years apart. Its more of an isssue when you have a 13-14 year old taking classes with a 18-19-20 year old in high school.

Why do we need rigid cutoffs? Also why would a 13-14 yo be taking classes with an 18-20 yo?

Many private schools operate with some flexibility around the cutoffs. They also offer a far superior product to DCPS.

Really, you don't know why? Math, electives like foreign language, ap, arts. My child as a Freshman was in multiple classes with juniors and seniors. As a sophmore, they are the only sophomores with juniors and seniors.

That school sounds awful, this is not normal.

It’s very normal when you have freshman in the highest level orchestra or chorus or precal for math.

No, that doesn’t happen at any decent school.

A decent school allows students to take classes appropriate to their ability.

Are you really defending placing seniors and freshmen into the same classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an argument for red shirting: it potentially can save the school and District money on IEP and 504s. It also helps keep the older class on track by not having a student who is emotionally immature or who would benefit from doing a lower grade level work.

Its a tough issues for families and schools where kids are near the cut off date.

It doesn't save as if a child is delayed they will need help and the longer you wait the more a child will struggle and the more help they will need. If your child is struggling and you know it as a parent you need to get them help before K. If your child needs to be held back, you failed to get your child the help they needed if its something like immaturity. However, no kids should be mature going into K. No 5 year old is mature.

Rigid thinking about the cutoffs is how public schools usually operate, however that doesn't make it right.

If your kid is within a few months of the cutoff, making them young for the grade, any immaturity can easily be within normal.

Take a kid who is old for their grade and doing well, then change the cutoffs and make them young for grade instead, and they may struggle.

The cutoffs are arbitrary.

There needs to be a cut off. No kids are mature. And, an older kid isn't more mature, they are older. If they are with younger kids and behaving as those kids are, they are immature. Its insane to have kids 2 years apart. Its more of an isssue when you have a 13-14 year old taking classes with a 18-19-20 year old in high school.

Why do we need rigid cutoffs? Also why would a 13-14 yo be taking classes with an 18-20 yo?

Many private schools operate with some flexibility around the cutoffs. They also offer a far superior product to DCPS.

Really, you don't know why? Math, electives like foreign language, ap, arts. My child as a Freshman was in multiple classes with juniors and seniors. As a sophmore, they are the only sophomores with juniors and seniors.

That school sounds awful, this is not normal.

It’s very normal when you have freshman in the highest level orchestra or chorus or precal for math.

No, that doesn’t happen at any decent school.

A decent school allows students to take classes appropriate to their ability.

Are you really defending placing seniors and freshmen into the same classes?

If the freshmen is in Precalc and the senior needs precalc to graduate yes that happens. It depends on what middle school they come from. Step foot in a HS and you will see this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a rigid cutoff protects kids who's parents can't afford to play with the cutoff. Every class only has kids within a year of each other. If parents who could afford to pay daycare for one more year or send to private school for a year are allowed to redshirt, then the distribution in the classrooms grows. What happens to the September birthdays who went on time who are now over a year younger then the redshirted kids? It's not fair to them to be in class with kids who could be up to 23 months older...or realistically, 18 months older. People most often redshirt boys. Why should my petit September birthday girl be in class with a boy 18 or 20 months older than her? The physical size of the kids will make a difference for schools sports, but also now teachers will have to teach across more than a year of developmental differences and capabilities. Rich parents will redshirt, parents of less means won't, and kids of less means will suffer. If these parents want this kind of redshirting choice, then they are free to send their kids to private school.

Because boys' brain development is delayed in comparison with girls, that's why. And in public schools, we would reward kids who can sit still, keep quiet, do worksheets, and take tests, which heavily favors girls. It's both biology and our crappy educational system.

Ah yes those poor boys. Everything always favors girls in education. I can’t imagine how men have dealt with this oppression for so long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's an argument for red shirting: it potentially can save the school and District money on IEP and 504s. It also helps keep the older class on track by not having a student who is emotionally immature or who would benefit from doing a lower grade level work.

Its a tough issues for families and schools where kids are near the cut off date.

It doesn't save as if a child is delayed they will need help and the longer you wait the more a child will struggle and the more help they will need. If your child is struggling and you know it as a parent you need to get them help before K. If your child needs to be held back, you failed to get your child the help they needed if its something like immaturity. However, no kids should be mature going into K. No 5 year old is mature.

Rigid thinking about the cutoffs is how public schools usually operate, however that doesn't make it right.

If your kid is within a few months of the cutoff, making them young for the grade, any immaturity can easily be within normal.

Take a kid who is old for their grade and doing well, then change the cutoffs and make them young for grade instead, and they may struggle.

The cutoffs are arbitrary.

There needs to be a cut off. No kids are mature. And, an older kid isn't more mature, they are older. If they are with younger kids and behaving as those kids are, they are immature. Its insane to have kids 2 years apart. Its more of an isssue when you have a 13-14 year old taking classes with a 18-19-20 year old in high school.

Why do we need rigid cutoffs? Also why would a 13-14 yo be taking classes with an 18-20 yo?

Many private schools operate with some flexibility around the cutoffs. They also offer a far superior product to DCPS.

Really, you don't know why? Math, electives like foreign language, ap, arts. My child as a Freshman was in multiple classes with juniors and seniors. As a sophmore, they are the only sophomores with juniors and seniors.

That school sounds awful, this is not normal.

It’s very normal when you have freshman in the highest level orchestra or chorus or precal for math.

No, that doesn’t happen at any decent school.

A decent school allows students to take classes appropriate to their ability.

Are you really defending placing seniors and freshmen into the same classes?

If the freshmen is in Precalc and the senior needs precalc to graduate yes that happens. It depends on what middle school they come from. Step foot in a HS and you will see this.

That school sounds awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a rigid cutoff protects kids who's parents can't afford to play with the cutoff. Every class only has kids within a year of each other. If parents who could afford to pay daycare for one more year or send to private school for a year are allowed to redshirt, then the distribution in the classrooms grows. What happens to the September birthdays who went on time who are now over a year younger then the redshirted kids? It's not fair to them to be in class with kids who could be up to 23 months older...or realistically, 18 months older. People most often redshirt boys. Why should my petit September birthday girl be in class with a boy 18 or 20 months older than her? The physical size of the kids will make a difference for schools sports, but also now teachers will have to teach across more than a year of developmental differences and capabilities. Rich parents will redshirt, parents of less means won't, and kids of less means will suffer. If these parents want this kind of redshirting choice, then they are free to send their kids to private school.

Because boys' brain development is delayed in comparison with girls, that's why. And in public schools, we would reward kids who can sit still, keep quiet, do worksheets, and take tests, which heavily favors girls. It's both biology and our crappy educational system.

Ah yes those poor boys. Everything always favors girls in education. I can’t imagine how men have dealt with this oppression for so long.

You are living in the past. There is a large gap in attending 4 year college favoring women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a rigid cutoff protects kids who's parents can't afford to play with the cutoff. Every class only has kids within a year of each other. If parents who could afford to pay daycare for one more year or send to private school for a year are allowed to redshirt, then the distribution in the classrooms grows. What happens to the September birthdays who went on time who are now over a year younger then the redshirted kids? It's not fair to them to be in class with kids who could be up to 23 months older...or realistically, 18 months older. People most often redshirt boys. Why should my petit September birthday girl be in class with a boy 18 or 20 months older than her? The physical size of the kids will make a difference for schools sports, but also now teachers will have to teach across more than a year of developmental differences and capabilities. Rich parents will redshirt, parents of less means won't, and kids of less means will suffer. If these parents want this kind of redshirting choice, then they are free to send their kids to private school.

Because boys' brain development is delayed in comparison with girls, that's why. And in public schools, we would reward kids who can sit still, keep quiet, do worksheets, and take tests, which heavily favors girls. It's both biology and our crappy educational system.

This is so made up. My SN kid could do all those things. Boys are fine. They are just dumbed down and shamed. You are the problem, not boys.

No, historically it is true. Girls ND or not are taught to mask and generally keep up appearances from a young age. Boys are not conditioned in such a manner.

All of the challenging behavior in my classroom stems from boys. It is not because they are inherently a problem but the rough housing type of boy which is more common definitely can be hard to deal with in a traditional public school.

As a teacher, I am always trying to stay away from worksheets and make sure I have movement breaks to ensure all students are present and not itching to move.

Public school definitely needs a change and stakeholders expect magic when no fairy dust is allowed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a rigid cutoff protects kids who's parents can't afford to play with the cutoff. Every class only has kids within a year of each other. If parents who could afford to pay daycare for one more year or send to private school for a year are allowed to redshirt, then the distribution in the classrooms grows. What happens to the September birthdays who went on time who are now over a year younger then the redshirted kids? It's not fair to them to be in class with kids who could be up to 23 months older...or realistically, 18 months older. People most often redshirt boys. Why should my petit September birthday girl be in class with a boy 18 or 20 months older than her? The physical size of the kids will make a difference for schools sports, but also now teachers will have to teach across more than a year of developmental differences and capabilities. Rich parents will redshirt, parents of less means won't, and kids of less means will suffer. If these parents want this kind of redshirting choice, then they are free to send their kids to private school.

Because boys' brain development is delayed in comparison with girls, that's why. And in public schools, we would reward kids who can sit still, keep quiet, do worksheets, and take tests, which heavily favors girls. It's both biology and our crappy educational system.

Ah yes those poor boys. Everything always favors girls in education. I can’t imagine how men have dealt with this oppression for so long.

You are living in the past. There is a large gap in attending 4 year college favoring women.

Unfortunately this has not produced better outcomes for ALL women. Higher paying jobs are still dominated by men.

Going to college no longer means you have secured your future.