Reply to Universal AP English & History at Wilson next year for 11th grade

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Universal AP English & History at Wilson next year for 11th grade"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Maybe, just maybe, the people on this listserve should ask how the students (and parents of the students) who will now be mandated to take these classes feel?  Do they think it's a good idea?  Are they excited?  Hopeful?  Upset? Outraged?

Maybe, just maybe, it shouldn't be centered around how those who are privileged by the current system feel about the changes without knowing how those who are disadvantaged feel.... [/quote]

This is exactly right. Thank you for making this point.

Unfortunately, I bet you’re going to get lots of replies from privileged parents of STEM-focused kids who think it’s unfair that their kids will have to take advanced humanities classes. (And to that point, I’d just note that my humanities-focused kid is going to take AP Calculus because that’s what’s expected of kids applying to highly selective colleges. Why is it so bad to expect STEM-focused kids to be similarly well-rounded?)[/quote]

This is a great example of how policies ostensibly meant to help poor kids wind up being just another venue for unrelated status competitions among the privileged. You feel like humanities are undervalued in highly selective college admissions process, and therefore that it's good to force STEM-focused kids to do advanced work in that area -- because, after all, your kid is going to take advanced math. (Although, of course, that's voluntary.) But the majority of kids who are going to be affected by this policy aren't applying to selective colleges at all. They may be helped by this, they may be harmed, but to you the important part is that you get to punish kids who are demographically the same as yours but who have a more-valued set of skills and interests. Fun! [/quote]

Um...I think that’s an overinterpretation of what was intended as an aside. First, I don’t think humanities is undervalued in admissions...nor did I say that anywhere? Second, I have no interest in punishing STEM kids—my other kid is a STEM kid, and I’m glad he’ll be required to take AP English and History; it will make him more well-rounded.

We agree about who will be most affected by this change—kids who currently aren’t applying to selective colleges. And that was PP’s point, to which I was responding. Those kids and their families are the ones whose opinions should be prioritized here; my point was that we’re unlikely to hear from them and instead to hear from other privileged parents who think this policy disadvantages their kids.[/quote]

Yes, this was my point...maybe the opinions of (I am making an educated guess here) UMC white parents of kids already achieving should not be the central focus when it comes to deciding whether this is a good idea.  Maybe we should be centering the discussion around how those affected--both by the current inequalities in the system and by the proposed changes--feel.  Do THEY think it's a good idea?  What do THEY think is needed to make this work? How can WE help make this work?  If they don't think this is a good idea, then the administration would have to (I think) really reassess the strategy.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics