Anonymous wrote:OP here: I find it interesting that once I identified the county all of my harsh critics and people calling this post boring have gone silent. I wonder why. I intentionally didn't name the county because I didn't want anyone to think I was trashing an entire county's public school system. But the silence of all the other posters speaks volumes. I suspect not one of them still thinks my public school should be an option. It never fails to amaze me the type of people who are on this board.

I wouldn't read that much into it. I expect people who have said the thread is boring, have gone elsewhere. They're not hanging on your every word, with baited breath.

When my dad graduated from high school he couldn't read. He went to college and still couldn't read until after he graduated with a welding degree. His people skills got him through.He learned to read in his 30's.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok so those kids didn't take any AP coursework and got high honors for regular or at least honors classes?
I know people from TJ (that did well and got into fancy colleges) that failed out of MIT and I know people from PG county schools that did brilliantly in engineering and went on to all honors in college. Yes some of it is about the school and the rigor but so much is about the student. Did the parents ever read what and how the students wrote while in hs? College transition is hard for a lot of people no matter how well prepared. The remedial courses seem strange. The student was admitted based on an essay presumably and then it was clear they couldn't write?

I do as well. People fail out for many reasons, not just being under prepared. I haven't asked the parents what they did or didnt do, I only know they where shocked their kids weren't prepared. To provide some context the high school is a PG county school and the college of the remedial course is Bowie State. I'm not sure what Bowie State's admission process looks like. I only know the student had to attend the Bulldog summer program and first semester was all remedial courses. The student is doing OK (i.e., surviving) but it still struggling to keep up with the demands of college level workload.

Is it bladensburg? If the school is mostly a trade school well what do u expect?

Oh and by "big problem" I don't mean it is a scam. I have friends who are math professors at the public university near me. The big problem is kids are getting in to the university with substandard math skills and need remediation.

My dh and I were high achievers in high school and went away to four year public universities. The idea that my kids will not have those opportunities or will not be prepared to go to straight to colleges or will need remedial classes is unacceptable to us.

I do think that common core (being implemented just now really) here in California will help. It has to help! Something has to be better than what was happening. It will be years until we see the results of it.

I live in california and the remedial classes thing is a big problem here. The state universities are telling parents (whose kids took AP classes) that most of the kids are not ready for a 4 yr university and should go to CC first. and the colleges in some cases now have as many sections of remedial math as they have actual college math classes - whereas even 10 yrs ago they only needed a few remedial sections.
I am only speaking about where I am.

Many years ago my dh went to a high school that was really bad, and the valedictorian when she went to college was advised to leave her stem major or drop out of school because she was so unprepared by their high school. I know that this happens.

People want to believe that public schools are great but really they are talking about a few schools that they made a priority to live in their zoned areas. It is really not that different from paying for private schools if you chose your school district so carefully.

OP here: I find it interesting that once I identified the county all of my harsh critics and people calling this post boring have gone silent. I wonder why. I intentionally didn't name the county because I didn't want anyone to think I was trashing an entire county's public school system. But the silence of all the other posters speaks volumes. I suspect not one of them still thinks my public school should be an option. It never fails to amaze me the type of people who are on this board.

Meh. I'm in PG and I get a lot of pressure to attend the public schools. I am not convinced they can educate my child correctly at this time. We are only in the elementary stage and our area public elementary is good. Not great. Our kids attend a private and it is well worth the money. We will reevaluate when we many need to, but I've heard similar to what the op is describing. I have also heard the opposite. So, who knows. It's an individual thing, in the end.

Anonymous wrote:Ok so those kids didn't take any AP coursework and got high honors for regular or at least honors classes?
I know people from TJ (that did well and got into fancy colleges) that failed out of MIT and I know people from PG county schools that did brilliantly in engineering and went on to all honors in college. Yes some of it is about the school and the rigor but so much is about the student. Did the parents ever read what and how the students wrote while in hs? College transition is hard for a lot of people no matter how well prepared. The remedial courses seem strange. The student was admitted based on an essay presumably and then it was clear they couldn't write?

Agree. The DC of a friend went to one of the Big 3 schools here and flunked out of a middling state university his first year. My DC went to MCPS and got a full year of college credit for AP coursework and has a very high GPA in an honors program in college. Neither of these data points mean that every kid at a big 3 will fail or that every kid in MCPS will succeed. However if you are concerned about the specific school you are assigned to then by all means look at options.

Anonymous wrote:Most high schools participate in the student clearinghouse tracking system. My suggestion to the OP would be to make an appointment with someone in the districts enrollment office and let them know that you are looking at public v private and would like to know more about the programs they offer particularly for college prep. Let them know what you want to discuss in advance so they can pull the necessary information and have it ready when you go in for the meeting. They will be able to tell you a fair amount about success rates in college and where kids go to college.

I would not worry to much about "remedial" class requirements. It is a bit of a scam money maker for the colleges. Personally I would suggest retesting if the kid/family were reasonably sure about where they should come in.

Hmm. Good suggestion. I'm pretty sure we are going to go the private route, but I am going to do as you suggest before I make a final decision. As for the remedial class requirments, are you serious? It never occurred to me (or the parent) this could have possibly been a scam. She said her kid missed the cut-off or failed or whatever it is called by 2 points.

Most high schools participate in the student clearinghouse tracking system. My suggestion to the OP would be to make an appointment with someone in the districts enrollment office and let them know that you are looking at public v private and would like to know more about the programs they offer particularly for college prep. Let them know what you want to discuss in advance so they can pull the necessary information and have it ready when you go in for the meeting. They will be able to tell you a fair amount about success rates in college and where kids go to college.

I would not worry to much about "remedial" class requirements. It is a bit of a scam money maker for the colleges. Personally I would suggest retesting if the kid/family were reasonably sure about where they should come in.

Anonymous wrote:Ok so those kids didn't take any AP coursework and got high honors for regular or at least honors classes?
I know people from TJ (that did well and got into fancy colleges) that failed out of MIT and I know people from PG county schools that did brilliantly in engineering and went on to all honors in college. Yes some of it is about the school and the rigor but so much is about the student. Did the parents ever read what and how the students wrote while in hs? College transition is hard for a lot of people no matter how well prepared. The remedial courses seem strange. The student was admitted based on an essay presumably and then it was clear they couldn't write?

I do as well. People fail out for many reasons, not just being under prepared. I haven't asked the parents what they did or didnt do, I only know they where shocked their kids weren't prepared. To provide some context the high school is a PG county school and the college of the remedial course is Bowie State. I'm not sure what Bowie State's admission process looks like. I only know the student had to attend the Bulldog summer program and first semester was all remedial courses. The student is doing OK (i.e., surviving) but it still struggling to keep up with the demands of college level workload.

Ok so those kids didn't take any AP coursework and got high honors for regular or at least honors classes?
I know people from TJ (that did well and got into fancy colleges) that failed out of MIT and I know people from PG county schools that did brilliantly in engineering and went on to all honors in college. Yes some of it is about the school and the rigor but so much is about the student. Did the parents ever read what and how the students wrote while in hs? College transition is hard for a lot of people no matter how well prepared. The remedial courses seem strange. The student was admitted based on an essay presumably and then it was clear they couldn't write?

Impressive sample size, OP.

Anonymous wrote:Yawn...this is the most boring thread ever.

All of you people commenting how boring the thread is confuse me. If it's boring, why bother commenting and bumping it to the top of the list? For the love of God, Buddha, Allah, Karma -- stop bumping it with stupid comments. It's quicker to die that way. Now carry on while I sip my tea and continue to watch it get bumped to the top.

Yawn...this is the most boring thread ever.