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Post by teacherabc on Mar 24, 2014 21:15:26 GMT -5
This is about one of my students. Our school wants our seniors to take four years of math and four years of science. I understand that this is desirable, although not necessary in New York (three years are needed). The students are either in precalculus or in personal finance, as well as a science (Earth Science or Astrobiology), in addition to English and Economics (these courses are needed to graduate).
This student is in his second semester of precalculus. He got a 65 the first semester and improved a bit this last marking period. However, he is stressed beyond belief. He takes a great deal of time to do everything and works all the time. He needs the gift of time and would use a free period to take the load off what he has to do at home. However, the school is loathe to do this; the finance course is full and I don't think he can transfer in. He has already told me that even though he is passing now, he is starting to not understand and if he has to make a choice, he will voluntarily fail math than risk the other courses. What can I say to the school to get them to change its tune? He could get tutoring but this doesn't address the issue of time. I have tried to get him to speed up in his work and give him tips but it doesn't seem to do much.
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Post by healthy11 on Mar 24, 2014 21:53:18 GMT -5
I'm perplexed...you're talking about a public school in N.Y. City, correct? Do all N.Y. City high schools insist on more than the State required 3 math and 3 science classes in order to graduate? When you say the school is loathe to allow him an exception, is it your individual school's principal, or who is making that decision?? Isn't there a "City School Superintendent" in charge of all the schools? schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/schools/superintendents/default.htm even mentions some Councils and Family Advocates for the City ~ could they help the boy's family apply for some kind of exception? (I take it the boy does not have an IEP?) |
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Post by teacherabc on Mar 24, 2014 22:18:19 GMT -5
He does have an IEP. There is nothing in the IEP that prohibits him from taking more math or science than what the state requires. It is the Principal who made this decision and it is applied to all of the kids, IEP or not. Many of the kids were having trouble with precalc (especially kids with IEPs but not exclusively). They created a personal finance class as an alternative. However, this kid was doing okay in the first semester of precalc (or, at least, he was handling it better). But now he is much more anxious and stressed.
I would expect that if the boy's mom came to school and made a fuss, they would exempt him. But she doesn't speak any English. She would need an interpreter to talk to anyone. We are having a meeting with the guidance counselor tomorrow who has made exceptions (but shifting them to personal finance, not getting rid of the unnecessary math altogether) but I guess, depending on that, I can ask the kid if he can get his mom to come to parent teacher conferences on Thursday night or Friday afternoon. But I would have to get a Mandarin translator because I don't think it would be a good idea for the student to do it.
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Post by jisp on Mar 25, 2014 5:44:51 GMT -5
If he is struggling in pre-calc then I suspect his Algebra is weak and he would be better off revisiting Algebra than switching into Finance. The slowness can partly be due to him being a slow processor but more likely it has to do with not being fluent enough with the operations and manipulations that need to do be done in order to do higher level math.
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Post by healthy11 on Mar 25, 2014 9:20:11 GMT -5
I suspect that switching into Personal Finance or ANY other class at this point, more than a month into the semester, would be difficult for even the brightest student without an IEP. I'm surprised the N.Y. School Superintendent's Office allows each school principal to singlehandedly establish their own graduation requirements. IEPs are supposed to be individualized; it definitely seems like the parent(s) need to show up at a meeting to request that their son be allowed to withdraw from pre-calc, since it's not a city or state required class to graduate. The following document has a section about IDEA and requirements for interpreters: www.brycs.org/documents/upload/Interpretation-Translation-FAQ.pdf(I'm forgetting...does N.Y. have different Regent Exams to graduate? Can students pass them without knowledge of math beyond Algebra? How have your other IEP students managed to graduate?) |
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Post by teacherabc on Mar 25, 2014 19:09:51 GMT -5
Well, in the end, I am happy to report that he convinced the Guidance Counselor to let him drop Precalculus. Before he went to meet with her, I spoke to give, gave him a pep talk and rehearsed a little. So, now he has another period to do other work. There are Regents exams and this kid, the second time he took it, got the college ready score of 80. I think he isn't really weak in Algebra. He is just a really slow processor--he even walks very slowly. I don't think I have ever seen a slower processor in all the years I have been teaching. While I am annoyed at the school's policy, I am very proud of him for making a decision (another area of difficulty) and standing his ground with the Guidance Counselor (she did give him a hard time). This was more than just about the math or even dropping the class--this was a personal achievement for him.
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Post by healthy11 on Mar 25, 2014 19:16:35 GMT -5
It sounds like good news in many respects! In addition to the personal accomplishment of this student being empowered to speak up for himself, it sounds like the principal isn't as "iron fisted" as you first indicated, since another administration member was able to approve him dropping the extra class.
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Post by empeg1 on Mar 25, 2014 19:49:57 GMT -5
Teacherabc: How is HP? Do you still see him? I think about him and wonder how he is doing.
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Post by teacherabc on Mar 26, 2014 5:41:16 GMT -5
In this situation, it didn't get to the principal. It seems that depending on the Guidance Counselor's mood, it gets to the principal (when she says no) and then he enunciates this policy. I think this stemmed from the fact that so many kids were trying to get out of the teacher's class (says something about the teacher). To be fair, people did talk to this teacher and he has changed to some extent (he seemed to have gotten into fights with students he didn't like that were loud and public) but the content is still so difficult for so many. I am still mystified by how these decisions are made at my school. In any case, the kid should have a lot less stress on him and is learning to speak up for himself.
As for HP, not much has changed--same old. Still teetering on the edge of disaster. I am still there, but less a part of it all. I don't help him as much--he has night classes, I have a much busier work load (a teacher on maternity leave, so I am teaching Economics, a subject I have never taken, no less taught), he has perceived resentments and whatever. So, either he will sink or swim, mostly on his own. We usually see him once every couple of weeks or so and I am busy with work, going out with friends, and planning my Spring break trip to Italy with my daughter. He spends so much time being miserable but that's his choice; it's not mine.
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