Well, I'm not sure HomeworkDad is being entirely honest- my DD is also an 8th grader in New York, (though not in NYC). Now, it's possible that in NYC, the land where every kid is gifted, things are different, but in the state of NY, at least 2 of the courses she lists are technically 9th grade courses, which appear on the high school transcript and include Regents Exam finals (a statewide exam system here in Ny). My DD is also taking both algebra and earth science, and for both, one had to be recommended by previous teachers to take the class (granted, it seems like about half her class somehow got recommended for algebra, resulting in a painfully repetitive and slow class, but that is an issue for a separate thread). So his DD is technically taking at least two accelerated classes, which would be considered high school courses. Now, perhaps taking their charter school entrance exam and gaining a spot in this school suggests that these kids can handle acceleration. But to complain about the work, after seeking a spot in the school (and allowing his second daughter to do the same) seems problematic to me.
(For what it's worth, we have not had similar problems with homework load, though I would not be surprised if some of DD's classmates did).
