Bluemagic, your post is almost identical to the one I've been debating putting up here.
DS ended his freshman year in a grade abyss. His freshman and sophomore honors classes do not have "busywork"; the assignments have clear purpose. He just didn't do them or turn them in. I can't fault the teachers on their grading at all. I am very grateful to the teachers who contacted me to get final work in and make final presentations. I'm grateful to the ones who let him take the brunt of his own actions, including failing to show up for one-on-one conferences, yet also angry that they didn't contact me.
When grades arrived, the faculty was already gone for the summer. I have sent emails to all of them, hoping they will check email over the summer. (I did have a conversation with one before he left) Mainly I want to plan a management system with and for DS, and me, for next year. I told DS last year I wasn't going to be checking the online grade book, but I did remind him to check himself. That is one thing that will change.
He is registered for two APs next year. While I fully expect the school to keep him in honors classes, the APs are another story. I don't know what they will do with that. He has the summer materials, and will start work on them when he gets home from camp. If they give us grief about it, I hope his showing commitment already will help.
Bluemagic, do you have plans for managing and keeping up with the homework status?
Haven't figured that out yet.
Because he was in honors this year for most of his classes there wasn't a lot of busy work. The big problem with that was the outlines & notebooks in S.S. and the second semester Spanish teacher who gave no tests till the final. Science labs aren't busy work. A lot of work that wasn't turned in was not because he didn't know it was due, but rather he has had this mental block all spring and couldn't seem to output even short paragraphs of writing like the conclusion of lab report. In addition I think the teacher told the kids (and my son missed it) that labs were always due some set time after the lab, and my son missed this memo.
I'm not sure of my plan yet. It's just sinking in that he has zero chance of honors science, or math. Because of his writing grades, S.S. and English honors were off the table a while ago. School has already promised me that the counselor will hand pick his teachers. Next week we are testing him to see if he has a processing problem, or it's just some sort of writing anxiety. After we know more it will be easier to form a plan.
AP Classes aren't really in the picture till Junior year. The only AP class that he could take next year is AP US History, and I do not want him in that class because while he would love the in class discussion that class is a mountain of work the way it is taught at our H.S. It is simply not worth the amount of stress involved. It's the math & science I am most frustrated about.
