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I am absolutely furious today. The principal never called our DYS family consultant. She emailed me yesterday saying she was leaving a bit early, hadn't ever heard from him. I sent him one more email letting him know that. Never heard back from him, and when she left at mid-afternoon she emailed to let me know she never heard from him. The Davidson office is closed next week, so he now can't talk to them. He said he would call when I asked him to ("Of course" were his exact words), he got the email last Friday from her (over a week ago), I reminded him mid-week (and he said "I will contact her"). And he didn't do it. He was in the office for four days and school was not in session this week... how did he not get this done?!?

D has not asked about the outcome (she is at her dad's this week, but we do email). I expect she will ask today via email or when she gets home tonight. She is no dummy (ha! This group surely appreciates that!). She will know that no answer means no hope that she will get to take the AP class.

I will keep this low key (and a little positive spin, maybe he is still considering allowing her to change teachers). But I have moved from "don't want D to change schools for her senior year" to looking at other education options for her next year. I will take D's lead (in fact, will probably wait until she suggests it before bringing it up), but I am checking on her options at other schools, our state's PSEO (college class) program, and even Davidson Academy (I think the deadline for residential applications was Dec 1, but since she has been very successful at THINK and they know about this issue, maybe they would still consider her).

Unless something new comes from him today (very unlikely), I am going to set it aside and not stew about it for obvious reasons until Monday.

I'm sorry. That really sucks. You'd think that schools would care more about meeting the needs of kids if for no other reason than for keeping the $ that comes with the students. Let us know what your dd decides.

That is your answer. The principal clearly has an appendage issue. Its a shame the other girls in the past and to date have clearly suffered as a result.

You can stand on his desk with a burdizzo or move your DD.

And then send him a letter from your lawyer with a CC to the BOD stating that you moved for cause, why you moved, what the anecdotal survey of the other young women has said, and then let the chips fall where they may.

I'd also follow up with a demand letter for a refund of tuition to this date and a change in the lit program as well - or you will sue for damages.

It would not be a good thing for people to find out a private school is run by a sexist pig.



I had AP Humanities the last year and Honors Humanities the 11th grade. It was fast paced. We covered the normal AP English and a lot of history. It was a lot of fun.


DOH!


Ahh, that is just wrong. The Normans (and the Romans) had a huge influence on English long before 1066. English has German roots so most of its Old English words end in harsh consonants. The French (and Roman) influence softened English by giving it words with soft and long dipthongs and tripthongs. We would not have had Byron nor Yeats nor Houseman nor Shakespeare without the the French.



DOH!

Mmm... probably not doing most of those suggestions. I did check this morning on her tuition insurance policy terms, as we have always purchased tuition insurance at her private school. More in case my kids got sick and had to drop than for any other reason. I checked the policy today, and found that we could get 60% of the remaining pro-rated tuition back if we choose to move her now. Her quarter is over on January 13. Was checking the "school across town"'s academic calendar, but can't tell when their semester ends -- it is not on their online calendar. They are closed for break, but I know another parent there that I may see at a sports activity on Monday night. Or I can call her. So I will explore that (without telling D) and think about the financial side. Might be able to swing it if we get 60% of the tuition back.

Just checked, and both of the two other possible private school options have their semester ending before winter break (so last week), while D's school goes until January 13. That makes it very difficult to move her mid-year, as she has two weeks to go in her first semester classes. Rats.

Possibly. But honestly quite difficult to accomplish a transition over winter break when all the school offices are closed, and their new semesters all start January 3.

Just when I thought I could not get any angrier with the school and the principal over this... I emailed him today and asked him for an explanation for not contacting our Davidson consultant. Specifically, I asked why he had not kept his word, and said it appeared to me that either he could not be bothered or that he had intentionally waited so he would not talk to her until after it was too late to register D for the AP class. I also told him about her PSAT scores (in case he didn't know), and suggested that there is a sexist result to their non-differentiation policy (even if it is not intentional). I can name four boys who have received acceleration in math beyond the honors math track (and at least they have an honors track) just in her grade of 50 kids alone if there is any question about this. I also told him we are discussing options for a school change for her.

He replied that he has now left our DYS person a voice mail, and that "...while I know you feel the time pressure to enroll in an online course, my decision process is not contingent on that timetable and I do not anticipate any change to the decision I shared with you and 'D' before break." Wow. Just...wow.

D is mulling over the school change idea, but is wary of a change at mid-year. But she is also very unhappy with his response.

A further complication: as principal, he will have to write her recommendation as a National Merit Scholar. AND, shortly before break, he asked her to help him with a history research project (something personal, he had asked a teacher for advice on a student who could help him, and the teacher had recommneded D). So now she is stuck with this project she is supposed to do for him. I told her that she better complete it, as he will be writing that recommendation if she stays. She is, to say the least, not inclined to help him.

Once again, arrggghhh! What is wrong with these people?

An update... D (mumbling under her breath in protest) completed the history research project for the principal and emailed her results. I was proud of her for taking the high road and keeping her word.

A couple of days after school started after the break, he emailed and said he was not going to let D out of the class (a "required" class in a "required sequence"). He had talked to our DYS consultant, but only to ask about D's THINK experience (apparently he had NO interest in the topic of accleration research or what other schools do to help students who need something additional beyond the normal classroom offerings).

I emailed him back and asked if he could at least let her move to the other teacher's section (only of small benefit, as the curriculum is the same... but I think the teacher does at least keep the classroom discussions moving). I guess I finally wore him down, because he agreed to a schedule change for her. However, we need to work out the details next week, and it may be hard to accomplish because they are a small school with only a few sections of the honors classes they do offer.

So... a very small concession on the part of the school was achieved.

Sigh. The saga continues. The only way D can take the other section of English is to drop French V next quarter. She could self study in French (she already has a tutor, and will have a free block). So we are trying to decide whether this is worth doing. I am leaning toward it... she will still take AP French next year. She is not enjoying French class anyway this year. I feel like I would have a MUCH happier kid if she self studied French and had a different section of English class. So the last piece of the puzzle is to talk with the tutor about this plan (she is out at a conference for a few days).

Then... I get an email from the principal tonight telling me what a TERRIBLE idea this is. How D is "leaving a difficult situation without working through it with the teacher". Uh... this is the teacher who didn't want to work with D or me one bit last semester on this issue. Also he is worried about how a midyear schedule change will need to be explained to colleges (seems easy to me, she switched to a section with more in depth discussion and option for some more rigorous assignments). I sort of wonder if he is worried that we will spill the beans to colleges about the awful quality of the 11th grade English class at this school...which probably won't happen, as D keep a positive spin on it in her application.

Unless she is planning on majoring in French, I'd go with the self-study option for that and get into the better English class.

With the scores I imagine she'll have to send off to colleges they aren't going to care about switching 1 class during 1 year of H.S.