Anonymous wrote:Jusr wondering, whars the difference between honors and regular geometry? How much harder is it?

Depends 100% on the school. There’s no curriculum, no standard tests, so each team can make it be whatever they want. At some schools it’s identical to regular courses with an “extension” page on tests. At others, it’s night and day different.

At my school, honors geometry and honors algebra 2 are insanely hard. Kids move on to precalc (where everyone is in the same course again) and say it’s so easy by comparison.

Jusr wondering, whars the difference between honors and regular geometry? How much harder is it?

Anonymous wrote:OP, Honors in Geometry is a ridiculous choice. Nothing builds from it. No reason for it. Yes, enjoyable for a kid who loves math or wants to become an architect. Algebra Honors, for Algebra I or II yes, that makes sense. There's something to build on.

The problem is how fcps runs and staffs their non-honors high school math courses. OP feels she needs to keep her kid in the honors level just to get what used to be considered a regular classroom.

Anonymous wrote:If the kid is mediocre they shouldn’t be in honors.

This.

OP, Honors in Geometry is a ridiculous choice. Nothing builds from it. No reason for it. Yes, enjoyable for a kid who loves math or wants to become an architect. Algebra Honors, for Algebra I or II yes, that makes sense. There's something to build on.

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. My FCPS high school staffs the gen ed classes with the stronger teachers and the weaker teachers get honors/AP. The advanced kids will teach it to themselves or learn from AP classroom videos if they care. The lower level kids need strong teachers to be successful.

--teacher

Not the norm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. My FCPS high school staffs the gen ed classes with the stronger teachers and the weaker teachers get honors/AP. The advanced kids will teach it to themselves or learn from AP classroom videos if they care. The lower level kids need strong teachers to be successful.

--teacher

Not true at my dc's FCPS HS unfortunately. The non-honors math and science teachers are really meh. I know b/c I have had three very different learners go through.

parents have complained on here for years about the non-honors fcps high school classes. teachers and cohort.

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. My FCPS high school staffs the gen ed classes with the stronger teachers and the weaker teachers get honors/AP. The advanced kids will teach it to themselves or learn from AP classroom videos if they care. The lower level kids need strong teachers to be successful.

--teacher

Not true at my dc's FCPS HS unfortunately. The non-honors math and science teachers are really meh. I know b/c I have had three very different learners go through.

Interesting. My FCPS high school staffs the gen ed classes with the stronger teachers and the weaker teachers get honors/AP. The advanced kids will teach it to themselves or learn from AP classroom videos if they care. The lower level kids need strong teachers to be successful.

--teacher

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One teacher or experience does not make an entire district. Mediocre math students should not be in Honors math classes. It’s a disservice to them getting good skills in whatever level class.

And as the PP, if you go this route be prepared for more than a workbook.

Would a mediocre student be better off and learn more math in (1) a classroom full of kids taking honors geometry, or (2) in a classroom pp described, with a teacher who didn't show up half the time and barely taught, and a classroom full of completely disinterested and disruptive students? What would be better for that particular student? In FCPS, those are the two choices.

All these pps are annoyed b/c they want to gatekeep and think all the mediocre kids are slowing down the honors class for their special snowflakes, who were already pre-taught all the material at Kumon or Saturday math school, or wherever.

Anonymous wrote:


Mediocre means they need a tutor, otherwise they will never get it on their own.

Isn't it the teacher's job to teach the subject?

Mediocre means they need a tutor, otherwise they will never get it on their own.

Anonymous wrote:One teacher or experience does not make an entire district. Mediocre math students should not be in Honors math classes. It’s a disservice to them getting good skills in whatever level class.

And as the PP, if you go this route be prepared for more than a workbook.

Would a mediocre student be better off and learn more math in (1) a classroom full of kids taking honors geometry, or (2) in a classroom pp described, with a teacher who didn't show up half the time and barely taught, and a classroom full of completely disinterested and disruptive students? What would be better for that particular student? In FCPS, those are the two choices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At many FCPS high schools, the non-honors math teachers are terrible to mediocre AND the cohort/classroom environment is not about learning. Not OP but guessing this is the situation. My kid moved down to non-honors Algebra 2 and it was a complete s-show.

That's a stereotype. Further, if the kid is "mediocre", he does not belong in Honors.

FCPS HS honors classes in all subjects are full of mediocre students, because the parents are trying to avoid the circus that is the regular level classes. At most schools, the worst teachers get those classes and they do the bare minimum, b/c most of the students don't give a crap. Honors classes are what used to be the regular classes.

My kids are planning to do Kahn academy in August. We like the videos for explanation