The workload (as in VOLUME) is soul-crushing-- not the difficulty of that work-load.
You nailed it!
You're assuming that the only choices are AP classes with tons of homework and no AP classes. Where is it written that there can be no middle ground?
I don't think it's written, but in our experience we were given no alternative: If a GT kid wanted any hope of learning anything at their level, they had to take AP classes, but due to ability level of the majority of butts in those classes, AP meant tons of homework.
The only way teachers could justify passing the majority of kids in these AP classes was to base the class grades on mass volumes of homework - rewarding activity over accomplishment. The straight A students were mostly the ones that couldn't pass the AP Exams(!) I don't know why the teachers couldn't just exempt the higher ability students from the homework if they made above certain scores on the tests.
I take that back, we did find an alternative: DD1 graduated 2 years early, DD2 quit to be home-schooled. Grrrr. I should ask for a refund on my ISD property taxes.
PS Val, I agree with everything you said. Just venting
