Tell me about your *average* student at W-L

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:So your kid is average but you don't want them to be with other average kids. Classic.

Fine with them being with average kids but not disruptive kids, kids with ankle bracelets, kids who can’t read.

tell us more about your kid, OP. why are they in the lower classes?

Well that’s sort of the point - he is average in certain areas, not “lower” - so my question is whether the regular classes are actually more like remedial because that is where all of the very unprepared and challenged kids are, along with the actually average (but grade level and college bound) kids.

l

I am the poster above at 9:43. No, the gen-ed classes are not for average, college bound kids after 10th grade. Try to avoid unless a hard subject like physics. There are easier IB and AP and DE classes and you should make it a priority to identify them and enroll in them.

How do I find that out?

Also, there is a pretty good parents FB group. People will message you privately with whatever information they won't post publicly. It can be a good resource too,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked a similar question last December - views were divided. I am also worried about disruptive kids in non AP/ non IB classes. But I also know that my kid struggles intensely with focusing and keeping track.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1306620.page#31346651

Thanks!! What did you end up deciding?

Still in limbo. Stressed, too. It is hard to have a kid with an LD profile at this age. I am scared to put my kid into gen ed but also when kid is in intensified and gets a C or B he feels "dumb" and we spend a lot of time at home with homework and a lot of angst.

wait a minute, you said he was average and you were worried about him being with the kids who need remedial. now it comes out he has a learning disability and he also needs remedial. you just don't want him around other kids with the same needs. which is an ugly look. you need to get a handle on this. your kid needs remedial classes, accept that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked a similar question last December - views were divided. I am also worried about disruptive kids in non AP/ non IB classes. But I also know that my kid struggles intensely with focusing and keeping track.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1306620.page#31346651

Thanks!! What did you end up deciding?

Still in limbo. Stressed, too. It is hard to have a kid with an LD profile at this age. I am scared to put my kid into gen ed but also when kid is in intensified and gets a C or B he feels "dumb" and we spend a lot of time at home with homework and a lot of angst.

wait a minute, you said he was average and you were worried about him being with the kids who need remedial. now it comes out he has a learning disability and he also needs remedial. you just don't want him around other kids with the same needs. which is an ugly look. you need to get a handle on this. your kid needs remedial classes, accept that.

This is a different person. I (OP) have a kid with some challenges but not LDs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked a similar question last December - views were divided. I am also worried about disruptive kids in non AP/ non IB classes. But I also know that my kid struggles intensely with focusing and keeping track.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1306620.page#31346651

Thanks!! What did you end up deciding?

Still in limbo. Stressed, too. It is hard to have a kid with an LD profile at this age. I am scared to put my kid into gen ed but also when kid is in intensified and gets a C or B he feels "dumb" and we spend a lot of time at home with homework and a lot of angst.

wait a minute, you said he was average and you were worried about him being with the kids who need remedial. now it comes out he has a learning disability and he also needs remedial. you just don't want him around other kids with the same needs. which is an ugly look. you need to get a handle on this. your kid needs remedial classes, accept that.

This is a different person. I (OP) have a kid with some challenges but not LDs.

And BTW - just because kids have LDs doesn’t mean it is fair to put them in with classes with an impossible range of abilities and regularly disruptive kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked a similar question last December - views were divided. I am also worried about disruptive kids in non AP/ non IB classes. But I also know that my kid struggles intensely with focusing and keeping track.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1306620.page#31346651

Thanks!! What did you end up deciding?

Still in limbo. Stressed, too. It is hard to have a kid with an LD profile at this age. I am scared to put my kid into gen ed but also when kid is in intensified and gets a C or B he feels "dumb" and we spend a lot of time at home with homework and a lot of angst.

wait a minute, you said he was average and you were worried about him being with the kids who need remedial. now it comes out he has a learning disability and he also needs remedial. you just don't want him around other kids with the same needs. which is an ugly look. you need to get a handle on this. your kid needs remedial classes, accept that.

This is a different person. I (OP) have a kid with some challenges but not LDs.

And BTW - just because kids have LDs doesn’t mean it is fair to put them in with classes with an impossible range of abilities and regularly disruptive kids.

Youre being judgmental. someone else may not want their kid with yours with their "challenges" that might disrupt the class or slow it down. You don't want your kid with THOSE kids.

[Anonymous]

Look it's public school, there are going to be kids that are disruptive at time. Homeschool your kid if that's an issue for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your kid is average but you don't want them to be with other average kids. Classic.

Fine with them being with average kids but not disruptive kids, kids with ankle bracelets, kids who can’t read.

tell us more about your kid, OP. why are they in the lower classes?

Well that’s sort of the point - he is average in certain areas, not “lower” - so my question is whether the regular classes are actually more like remedial because that is where all of the very unprepared and challenged kids are, along with the actually average (but grade level and college bound) kids.

Take a breath, OP.
I meant lower as in lower than AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL this brings back memories of when our oldest was a junior and only taking one non-AP class in the core subjects.

On back to school night every class we went to was packed with anxious parents with lots of questions -- except that class. For that class, we were the only ones who showed up.

Umm ok, are you laughing at parents in this situation?

Yea, pretty much. And laughing at ourselves. What a waste of time. The bad parents had it right.

The “bad” parents? The ones who may have been working two (or more) jobs to support their families?

I think PP is actually making a point about the futility and self-importance of so-called “good” parents.

Yes, that was my point exactly. So much wasted time . . .

Why do you feel this way?

I don't want to hijack OP's thread . . . but since you asked, with the benefit of hindsight everything just seems sooo important at the time but really it's all such bullshit. The PTAs, the back-to-school nights, the obsessing over which school is "better," test scores, teachers, blah blah blah. In the end none of it makes a bit of a difference. The kids end up fine regardless.

I genuinely agree with you but I would also guess that the kids and parents who end up at top schools do think it was worth it, because for them, it was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your kid is average but you don't want them to be with other average kids. Classic.

Fine with them being with average kids but not disruptive kids, kids with ankle bracelets, kids who can’t read.

tell us more about your kid, OP. why are they in the lower classes?

Well that’s sort of the point - he is average in certain areas, not “lower” - so my question is whether the regular classes are actually more like remedial because that is where all of the very unprepared and challenged kids are, along with the actually average (but grade level and college bound) kids.

Take a breath, OP.
I meant lower as in lower than AP.

Well that’s actually my question - about the non-AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from W-L in 2025. DC took regular level classes in weaker/ not areas of interest subjects and a mix of AP and IB in stronger ones. There were students in all classes who had various issues, I mean they are still high schoolers after all- such as executive functioning, impulsiveness, chattiness, or ability to comprehend material quickly, but DC reported more apathetic students in regular-level classes than the others, but also found diligent students there to partner with for projects.

Thanks! What about disruptive kids?

Don’t they get weeding out by sophomore or junior year? Is W&L really that bad? Can’t the kid just take intensified?

[Anonymous]

In general U.S. public high schools are different than the 1990s and 2000s when far fewer kids took AP classes and thus the gen ed classes were actually quite challenging. Back then there were even "lower level" classes below gen ed for students who couldn't muster the effort or were even further behind. Most of us parents had to "test in" to AP classes back then. Teacher recommendations were also often required. Right here in APS, MCPS, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from W-L in 2025. DC took regular level classes in weaker/ not areas of interest subjects and a mix of AP and IB in stronger ones. There were students in all classes who had various issues, I mean they are still high schoolers after all- such as executive functioning, impulsiveness, chattiness, or ability to comprehend material quickly, but DC reported more apathetic students in regular-level classes than the others, but also found diligent students there to partner with for projects.

Thanks! What about disruptive kids?

Don’t they get weeding out by sophomore or junior year? Is W&L really that bad? Can’t the kid just take intensified?

OP here. I don’t know that much about intensified classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In general U.S. public high schools are different than the 1990s and 2000s when far fewer kids took AP classes and thus the gen ed classes were actually quite challenging. Back then there were even "lower level" classes below gen ed for students who couldn't muster the effort or were even further behind. Most of us parents had to "test in" to AP classes back then. Teacher recommendations were also often required. Right here in APS, MCPS, etc.

OP here - thanks, this was something I hadn’t realized. In math at least for the first year he will be in the “lower” class - has to repeat algebra (long story but current school made a complete mess out of math instruction for the past 3 years).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general U.S. public high schools are different than the 1990s and 2000s when far fewer kids took AP classes and thus the gen ed classes were actually quite challenging. Back then there were even "lower level" classes below gen ed for students who couldn't muster the effort or were even further behind. Most of us parents had to "test in" to AP classes back then. Teacher recommendations were also often required. Right here in APS, MCPS, etc.

OP here - thanks, this was something I hadn’t realized. In math at least for the first year he will be in the “lower” class - has to repeat algebra (long story but current school made a complete mess out of math instruction for the past 3 years).

Algebra is traditionally a 9th grade class, and it is a challenging subject, even if most students now take it earlier. I think he'll be fine. A fair number of APS parents also hire outside tutors to supplement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general U.S. public high schools are different than the 1990s and 2000s when far fewer kids took AP classes and thus the gen ed classes were actually quite challenging. Back then there were even "lower level" classes below gen ed for students who couldn't muster the effort or were even further behind. Most of us parents had to "test in" to AP classes back then. Teacher recommendations were also often required. Right here in APS, MCPS, etc.

OP here - thanks, this was something I hadn’t realized. In math at least for the first year he will be in the “lower” class - has to repeat algebra (long story but current school made a complete mess out of math instruction for the past 3 years).

I wonder if it was actually the school at fault