Reply to Differences in what a kid is allowed to take

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OMG you sound horrible. Why does it matter and why do you feel so entitled to an exception? This will make no difference to your child's happiness.[/quote]

STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE ANY CLASS AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THE PREREQUISITES.

There is no MCPS rule that mandates a particular order. It's just that by convention, kids start with regular or Honors Bio, and move on from there, because most kids aren't taking advanced math. The game changes entirely if the kid is advanced in math, because then they can take any class in any order. The College Board recommends taking a preparatory class before AP Chem and AP Bio (usually the Honors version of same), but that is not an MCPS requirement, so if the kid feels strongly about it, they can insist they want to enroll in the class anyway. AP Physics C (or the other, simpler one) do not have prerequisites apart from Calculus.

Do not weigh in if you don't know what you are talking about. There is no entitlement here. OP and family are savvy people, that's all!

OP, email the counselor yourself today. I had to do that many times to discuss advanced coursework for my kid.

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SO are you at BCC?  Do they offer an AP Physics class that someone who is just starting at the same time in PRECALC can take?  Perhaps OP just misunderstood the reason why this is an issue, but it's kinda harsh to tell strangers they don't know what they are talking about when what OP is asking for might actually not be possible[/quote]

Again, you are confusing MCPS requirements and College Board prerequisite recommendations. AP Phys 1 is a dummy course (let's be honest) that only requires Alg 2 as a recommended math course by the College Board. It's very different from AP Physics C (Mechanical Engineerimg one semester then Electricity & Magnetism the other), which needs Calculus. MCPS cannot stop a child from choosing to take AP Phys 1 before Bio or Chem! You need to check whether that course is offered at the high school in question, and then, since it's not a conventional path, you need to INSIST. Because counselors are not the brightest bulbs, and some of them make a fuss when you want to do something different than the usual. In which case, you contact the Science Coordinator (or whatever title they have) and explain the game plan. Teachers respect kids and parents who come armed with knowledge or prerequisites and who can lay out the whole high school trajectory. I've never known a science coordinator or counselor refuse a kid who did that.

CAVEAT... this should have been hashed out during the enrollment period at the beginning of the year, when the kid was in 8th grade. The problem now is that some high schools (or all of them) are overwhelmed by schedule change requests and will prioritize errors in schedules, not "changed my mind" requests. And that means there might not be any seats left in the classes this kid wants to take.

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