Consultant for HS course selection

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there consultants or other individuals who can help HS kids figure out how to organize their schedule each year to ensure they are prioritizing appropriate pre-requisites? I’m not sure how parents normally do this considering there are hundreds of classes in the course offerings and the ordering/pathway isn’t always obvious for each subject area.

I’m not trying to be over the top on pre-defining my kids entire college life and career, but DC is already totally off in two areas because DC didn’t understand how certain early course selections would result in different subsequent options (nor did we as parents). One mistake is non-recoverable, the other requires DC to repeat a class. We’d learned our lesson the hard way and would like to avoid making the issue worse by instead investing in some good advice.

I appreciate that at some schools the HS counselors help with this but that does not appear to be an option at our HS.

Why do you need a consultant?? Can't you (and your child!) first dig into the course catalog, study the course flow charts and read the details? That should be enough to avoid most pitfalls with prerequisites. Then if you have specific questions about classes/schools, etc, you can come back to ask here, but you need to do your research first.

There are lots of caveats and pathways that the course catalog doesn't cover. You need someone who knows the system to guide you.

Really? Everyone else seems to do it just fine.

+1
My DD just started senior year at Blair. She always just tells us what classes she is taking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there consultants or other individuals who can help HS kids figure out how to organize their schedule each year to ensure they are prioritizing appropriate pre-requisites? I’m not sure how parents normally do this considering there are hundreds of classes in the course offerings and the ordering/pathway isn’t always obvious for each subject area.

I’m not trying to be over the top on pre-defining my kids entire college life and career, but DC is already totally off in two areas because DC didn’t understand how certain early course selections would result in different subsequent options (nor did we as parents). One mistake is non-recoverable, the other requires DC to repeat a class. We’d learned our lesson the hard way and would like to avoid making the issue worse by instead investing in some good advice.

I appreciate that at some schools the HS counselors help with this but that does not appear to be an option at our HS.

What grade is OP's child?

[Anonymous]

Agree with others - let DCUM be your consultant. How can we help?

[Anonymous]

The pathways are, indeed, spelled out.
Our school provided flow charts for each. If you missed this during the preview night last year, ask for it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can your DC ask the counselor for a 4-year planning sheet? Or just make up their own? Then you can sit down with the graduation requirements and course bulletin and map out a plan.

This is laughable

My DD’s GC won’t even meet in person for a meeting over the summer when we moved here.

Today my DD went to look about a change of elective and the head counselor said her GC left early today.

IT IS THE SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there consultants or other individuals who can help HS kids figure out how to organize their schedule each year to ensure they are prioritizing appropriate pre-requisites? I’m not sure how parents normally do this considering there are hundreds of classes in the course offerings and the ordering/pathway isn’t always obvious for each subject area.

I’m not trying to be over the top on pre-defining my kids entire college life and career, but DC is already totally off in two areas because DC didn’t understand how certain early course selections would result in different subsequent options (nor did we as parents). One mistake is non-recoverable, the other requires DC to repeat a class. We’d learned our lesson the hard way and would like to avoid making the issue worse by instead investing in some good advice.

I appreciate that at some schools the HS counselors help with this but that does not appear to be an option at our HS.

Why do you need a consultant?? Can't you (and your child!) first dig into the course catalog, study the course flow charts and read the details? That should be enough to avoid most pitfalls with prerequisites. Then if you have specific questions about classes/schools, etc, you can come back to ask here, but you need to do your research first.

There are lots of caveats and pathways that the course catalog doesn't cover. You need someone who knows the system to guide you.

Agree. Ways to rig the crappy system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pathways are, indeed, spelled out.
Our school provided flow charts for each. If you missed this during the preview night last year, ask for it

Arent they online?

Why aren’t things online

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can your DC ask the counselor for a 4-year planning sheet? Or just make up their own? Then you can sit down with the graduation requirements and course bulletin and map out a plan.

This is laughable

My DD’s GC won’t even meet in person for a meeting over the summer when we moved here.

Today my DD went to look about a change of elective and the head counselor said her GC left early today.

IT IS THE SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL

I’m sure the counselors’ contracts do not cover summer hours. Did your kid have an appointment scheduled with the GC today? My kid’s school was very clear that kids needed to fill out a course change request form. They do not take change requests in person or by email.

And, it’s none of your business why the GC had to leave early. Maybe she had a doctor’s appointment. Maybe her kid got sick at daycare and needed to be picked up. School staff are people, even on the SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL.

[Anonymous]

I think that different schools clearly provide different resources and approach the role of counseling differently.

If anyone has pathway documents for any subject besides math can you point to where others might find them even if they are specific to one high school? I’ve seen the math one on the main MCPS website but never for any other subjects.

This seems to be an area where you don’t know what you don’t know, which is part of what can make this so challenging to even know what to ask.

[Anonymous]

https://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/Home/PlanningTools

Would this be helpful? But not all courses are taught at all the HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can your DC ask the counselor for a 4-year planning sheet? Or just make up their own? Then you can sit down with the graduation requirements and course bulletin and map out a plan.

This is laughable

My DD’s GC won’t even meet in person for a meeting over the summer when we moved here.

Today my DD went to look about a change of elective and the head counselor said her GC left early today.

IT IS THE SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL

NP: the counselors are overwhelmed. Regardless, my kid’s counselor at Blair emailed him and CCed me this summer asking approval to swap classes because one of the electives he picked wasn’t going to be offered. My son also emailed the week before school to change his schedule and his counselor took care of it the next day. He is a junior and has had the same counselor since 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

pathways are on the school website - are you saying that you moved in from another state? well in that case obviously some things would not work out - if you have been here then I am confused how you did not see it on the website or weekly emails from school. Schools can only do so much .....you can point a horse to water but you know the rest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can your DC ask the counselor for a 4-year planning sheet? Or just make up their own? Then you can sit down with the graduation requirements and course bulletin and map out a plan.

This is laughable

My DD’s GC won’t even meet in person for a meeting over the summer when we moved here.

Today my DD went to look about a change of elective and the head counselor said her GC left early today.

IT IS THE SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL

I’m sure the counselors’ contracts do not cover summer hours. Did your kid have an appointment scheduled with the GC today? My kid’s school was very clear that kids needed to fill out a course change request form. They do not take change requests in person or by email.

And, it’s none of your business why the GC had to leave early. Maybe she had a doctor’s appointment. Maybe her kid got sick at daycare and needed to be picked up. School staff are people, even on the SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL.

Nah you making excuses. This is no different than my kid’s school. The guidance counselors are completely overwhelmed and hate their jobs. Leaving early is not an option - they had all summer for doctor’s appointments

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that different schools clearly provide different resources and approach the role of counseling differently.

If anyone has pathway documents for any subject besides math can you point to where others might find them even if they are specific to one high school? I’ve seen the math one on the main MCPS website but never for any other subjects.

This seems to be an area where you don’t know what you don’t know, which is part of what can make this so challenging to even know what to ask.

+1

Many things are outdated

[Anonymous]

I’d like to know what exactly happened that your child had to repeat a class and missed out on a class? I have a senior and the paths have always been clear. He asks his teachers and his counselor if he doesn’t know.