Anonymous
11/13/2025 06:54
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Geometry is a graduation requirement. You can’t self study a graduation requirement.
Anonymous
11/13/2025 06:52
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Why don't you just supplement with your child at home? There is no reason why he cannot start learning some calculus right now with you and/or his brother and friends.
Anonymous
11/13/2025 06:37
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Anonymous wrote:My child attends a very selective/competitive boarding school in New England. Because his prior school had allowed “acceleration”, we were shocked by his lower placement.
Turns out, there were quite a few gaps. Which means that the foundation is shaky. They were explicit that beginning over and learning deeply (and truly internalizing) the foundation of both algebra and geometry would serve him well. He can finish Calculus AB or BC as a senior. No need to go higher in high school.
The kids who take this advice (nail the foundation!) do extremely well on the SAT/ACT and have not faced barriers to elite university admissions, assuming all of the other components of the application are terrific. Math classes in college are less daunting if one is truly well prepared.
So we took the advice. It is a 180 from what we thought would best serve our child. But the school made a very strong argument and have the track record to prove it.
Have you considered that perhaps your child’s school has a reason he should not be moving so quickly through the material?
I could have written almost this exact story about my kid. He needed more foundation. The placement exams ID’d the gaps and he was placed a course behind what was anticipated. It’s easy to see now that this placement is exactly where he should be.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 23:36
Subject: Re:Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP here. Believe it or not our public high school doesn’t offer pre calc.
It’s algebra 2 trig, then calc 1.
That makes no sense. Precalc is important.
It depends. If Algebra I and Geometry are taught honors/in depth, then Algebra II/trig/precalc can be compressed in junior year to a single class. Then Calculus for the seniors. This model is not unique. But I have seen it more in private schools. I think it’s great if a public is offering this track.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 23:29
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
My child attends a very selective/competitive boarding school in New England. Because his prior school had allowed “acceleration”, we were shocked by his lower placement.
Turns out, there were quite a few gaps. Which means that the foundation is shaky. They were explicit that beginning over and learning deeply (and truly internalizing) the foundation of both algebra and geometry would serve him well. He can finish Calculus AB or BC as a senior. No need to go higher in high school.
The kids who take this advice (nail the foundation!) do extremely well on the SAT/ACT and have not faced barriers to elite university admissions, assuming all of the other components of the application are terrific. Math classes in college are less daunting if one is truly well prepared.
So we took the advice. It is a 180 from what we thought would best serve our child. But the school made a very strong argument and have the track record to prove it.
Have you considered that perhaps your child’s school has a reason he should not be moving so quickly through the material?
Turns out, there were quite a few gaps. Which means that the foundation is shaky. They were explicit that beginning over and learning deeply (and truly internalizing) the foundation of both algebra and geometry would serve him well. He can finish Calculus AB or BC as a senior. No need to go higher in high school.
The kids who take this advice (nail the foundation!) do extremely well on the SAT/ACT and have not faced barriers to elite university admissions, assuming all of the other components of the application are terrific. Math classes in college are less daunting if one is truly well prepared.
So we took the advice. It is a 180 from what we thought would best serve our child. But the school made a very strong argument and have the track record to prove it.
Have you considered that perhaps your child’s school has a reason he should not be moving so quickly through the material?
Anonymous
11/12/2025 23:21
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
My kid took Alg2 in 8th…he’s now a senior and I can tell you that being fast tracked in math hasn’t enhanced his life at all (school insisted, we did not ask). He doesn’t even like math anymore.
Your kid is fine where they are, I’m sure he’s special enough without skipping math classes…and your plan to cram math over a summer is really stupid. He will have gaps and he will be frustrated going forward.
Your kid is fine where they are, I’m sure he’s special enough without skipping math classes…and your plan to cram math over a summer is really stupid. He will have gaps and he will be frustrated going forward.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:50
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Anonymous wrote:Some very bright kids in our district do Algebra 1 in grade 6, which sets them up to do calculus in grade 9. But they don't skip Geometry altogether (which both my kids found more challenging than Algebra I).
Particularly with you being in public school, I'm not surprised that your school is not willing to entertain your claim that your kid will "self-study" geometry. It's a Common Core requirement for graduation, and there's no reason that your kid should be given a pass to skip it and no reason that they should take your word that your kid will learn it well on their own.
I'm only surprised that you're surprised that the school isn't letting your kid skip a required course.
Mine started algebra in 6th. You don't want to rush it more than that or skip classes. It's hard enough. This sounds fake.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:49
Subject: Re:Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Believe it or not our public high school doesn’t offer pre calc.
It’s algebra 2 trig, then calc 1.
That makes no sense. Precalc is important.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:38
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Some very bright kids in our district do Algebra 1 in grade 6, which sets them up to do calculus in grade 9. But they don't skip Geometry altogether (which both my kids found more challenging than Algebra I).
Particularly with you being in public school, I'm not surprised that your school is not willing to entertain your claim that your kid will "self-study" geometry. It's a Common Core requirement for graduation, and there's no reason that your kid should be given a pass to skip it and no reason that they should take your word that your kid will learn it well on their own.
I'm only surprised that you're surprised that the school isn't letting your kid skip a required course.
Particularly with you being in public school, I'm not surprised that your school is not willing to entertain your claim that your kid will "self-study" geometry. It's a Common Core requirement for graduation, and there's no reason that your kid should be given a pass to skip it and no reason that they should take your word that your kid will learn it well on their own.
I'm only surprised that you're surprised that the school isn't letting your kid skip a required course.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:33
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Does the middle school have an algebra 2 class? Or are you asking them to create one for your child?
Does the high school offer 3 years of post calc options, or are you going to be bugging them for options in 2 years?
Is your child taking an accredited geometry course, or self studying? Self studying won’t check the box for graduation requirements, it needs to be a real class.
You have to understand, for every 1 child who could pull this off there are 100 who think they can, and cannot. If a child taught themselves geometry and enrolled in algebra 2 in 8th grade, and then failed first semester because they actually don’t have strong foundations…then what? Now they’ve missed half of geometry, they can’t go back down.
If your state offers a 6 week summer course to fulfill a full geometry course requirement (Virginia does this), then they’d accept it presumably, but it’s 6-8 hours a day of work for the full session, with tests and midterm/final to demonstrate knowledge. It’s not just reading a book and doing some khan academies and claiming he’s taught himself.
Does the high school offer 3 years of post calc options, or are you going to be bugging them for options in 2 years?
Is your child taking an accredited geometry course, or self studying? Self studying won’t check the box for graduation requirements, it needs to be a real class.
You have to understand, for every 1 child who could pull this off there are 100 who think they can, and cannot. If a child taught themselves geometry and enrolled in algebra 2 in 8th grade, and then failed first semester because they actually don’t have strong foundations…then what? Now they’ve missed half of geometry, they can’t go back down.
If your state offers a 6 week summer course to fulfill a full geometry course requirement (Virginia does this), then they’d accept it presumably, but it’s 6-8 hours a day of work for the full session, with tests and midterm/final to demonstrate knowledge. It’s not just reading a book and doing some khan academies and claiming he’s taught himself.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:26
Subject: Re:Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
OP here. Believe it or not our public high school doesn’t offer pre calc.
It’s algebra 2 trig, then calc 1.
It’s algebra 2 trig, then calc 1.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:25
Subject: Re:Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
it's better to learn the lower levels of math more in depth than to try to rush into calculus in 9th grade
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:24
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Anonymous wrote:Not normal. Fast track is precalc freshman year.
+1
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:20
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
Not normal. Fast track is precalc freshman year.
Anonymous
11/12/2025 22:15
Subject: Middle school doesn’t want to let my kid take a higher level math class!
I simply do not understand this mindset.
DS is 7th grade. He’s smart (not a genius) and motivated and likes math. He’s currently taking algebra 1.
He wants to be on track to take Calc 1 as a freshman. He would do this by self studying geometry and taking algebra 2 in 8th grade.
I met with the middle school today and the principal said absolutely not. The school doesn’t allow kids to “skip” classes.
DS wants to do this because his older brother who is 17 and older brother’s friends have inspired him. They love math and are on very accelerated pathways.
I’m floored that the middle school doesn’t encourage kids who want to do more and push themselves. Is this common?
DS is 7th grade. He’s smart (not a genius) and motivated and likes math. He’s currently taking algebra 1.
He wants to be on track to take Calc 1 as a freshman. He would do this by self studying geometry and taking algebra 2 in 8th grade.
I met with the middle school today and the principal said absolutely not. The school doesn’t allow kids to “skip” classes.
DS wants to do this because his older brother who is 17 and older brother’s friends have inspired him. They love math and are on very accelerated pathways.
I’m floored that the middle school doesn’t encourage kids who want to do more and push themselves. Is this common?