Q. My daughter is in an Honors math class, the highest course the school offers. She has an A in the course yet says she is bored. She says the teacher is always having to reteach because so many parents have gotten overrides for their children who aren’t able to keep up with the work. I think students should have to earn their way into Honors classes. What can I do?
A. When I went to Wando (“Class of ‘88, Lookin’ Great!”), around 60 percent of the students took CP (College Prep/regular) courses and maybe 40 percent took Honors. Now those statistics are probably reversed. Yet when I look at students today, they don’t seem any smarter than people I knew back then (though they do have better hair). What happened?
One big difference is back then we had tremendous respect for our teachers’ recommendations. We figured, “Hey, they know the system better than I do. If they think I should be in CP, who am I to argue?” Today, not even “the system” puts its trust in teacher evaluations. I’ve seen the Honors placement form used by many schools. It has about a dozen numbers on it, teacher recommendation being just one.
But even with this reasonably objective placement system, many parents opt to waiver their children into courses for which they weren’t recommended. Why?
It begins with the course title. I would love to know who named our highest classes “Honors.” I plan to ask Santa to dump a truckload of coal onto this individual’s favorite bear rug. Merriam-Webster defines “Honors” as “a course of study for superior students.” Superior, eh? So right off the bat we have a course that alerts the world that whoever is enrolled in it is better than everyone else. Gee, I wonder why so many people want to get in.
It’s a small gesture, but why don’t we call it what it really is? What about Advanced English? Or Accelerated Algebra? Then instead of calling the regular English class “Regular English” or the more cryptic “College Prep English” (doesn’t an Honors course prepare you for college, too?), we could just call it English. It may seem like a small thing, but titles matter. Just ask the Assistant to the Regional Manager.
A second reason parents often seek waivers has to do with rigor. I’ve had dozens of former students who struggled to pass my eighth grade regular English class tell me that they are getting all A’s in high school. “Congratulations. But how is that possible?” I say. Answers vary. Sometimes it’s because there is no homework or the class has no tests. A few months ago I visited an 11th grade regular English class. They were watching the film The Great Gatsby. “What did you think of the book?” I asked the students. “We didn’t read the book,” they said. “We’re just watching the movie.”
For years, teachers have been pressured by the system to ensure that all students pass, even those who do little work or studying. As a result, regular classes are frequently designed so that even the laziest student can pass with minimal exertion.
This creates a domino effect. If parents do not feel that their children are receiving a challenging education in a regular course, they will waiver their kids into Honors by the droves. Over time, Honors classes will be about as challenging as regular or CP courses used to be (we’re nearing that), and regular courses will be known as “easy” or “crip” courses (and we’re getting close to that, too).
So, unfortunately, the issue is not one that can be quickly fixed for your child. First talk to the teacher to make sure your daughter’s assessment is accurate. If it is, you might acquire some accessory materials to supplement her coursework. After that, my best advice is to take the broader issue to your principal or your School Improvement Council. Or maybe even an Assistant to the Regional Manager.
Jody Stallings has been an award-winning teacher in Charleston since 1992. He has served as Charleston County Teacher of the Year, Walmart Teacher of the Year, and CEA runner-up for National Educator of the Year. He currently teaches English at Moultrie Middle School and is director of the Charleston Teacher Alliance. Please send your questions to him at JodyLStallings@gmail.com.
