Follow-up: Signs of a struggling school?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Domer90
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Domer90

Guest
Hi Everyone! Thanks for your kind thoughts and answers. I wanted to give an update on some actions we took on our end to help our son. If someone tries to intimidate or harass my son, he tries his best to turn his head and walk away or says something neutral if it is a taunt. The odd thing is that he is getting harassed (his therapist’s words) by this same girl since the beginning of school. Pretty much every day, but at least not in homeroom.

My son told me that 18 kids have left the freshman class since Christmas break. The school was built to hold 1000 students, but it’s averaging about 200 per class. In talking to my son, we asked him what he wanted. He said 1) for the harassment to end; 2) for a better Algebra/Calc teacher and 3) to take Latin as his language.

At course selection time, my son was very upset that the school would not let him take Algebra II and Geometry. He needs this to get back on the math track he needs to take upper level science. Then the school was pushing him to take Italian. He has no interest in that. I questioned that choice and learned that Latin was dropped as a language. I’m not sure when it happened. When I suggested Spanish, I learned there was only 1 Spanish teacher for the school, and he could not take it until his junior year. I then asked if the school would allow him to take an intensive Geometry class over the summer. They were not keen on that either.

I told son that the girl harassing him won’t be going away (her brother was suspended a week for slapping my son), her brother will be a senior, Latin isn’t coming back, and you will probably have a terrible Calculus teacher if things stay the way they are. I’ve noticed a switch away from Catholic identity and a move towards focusing on athletic and academic achievements, but not service or spiritual achievements. The school is sinking money into upgrading athletic facilities, but they have all their administrators teach a class.

Bottom line is that my son wants to transfer to a school that offers Latin. Sadly, it’s an online cyber school where he would have limited social interaction. Given how he’s handled himself this year, I think the pros of leaving this school is better than the cons.

Is there anything else I should be asking?

Thank you and God bless.
 
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but could he transfer to another brick-and-mortar school but take just a Latin course online for credit (or even no credit just because he likes it)?
 
I second that suggestion. Are there no other options (brick & mortar) for him to consider?
 
These are both great questions. Two setbacks to that option. The online Latin courses do not exist as summer courses that are not greatly condensed. Second, the brick and mortar schools are very hesitant to accept the Honors Geometry course he is signed up for this summer.

Many people knocked the cyber school he went to. In fact, it gave him a better education in eight grade than he’s had in 9th grade. (He’s learned nothing new in Honors Algebra I), but his high school balked at him going into Honors Geometry I.
 
Homeschool. That much should be obvious. Your responsibility is to your son, not to these corrupt schools.

Have you spoken to your bishop about the bullying?

Have you spoken to an attorney about the bullying?
 
We’ve spoken to the Archdiocese and a lawyer about the bullying (which is now considered harassment). The Archdiocese called the school, and that’s when some of our requests were granted (like a change in homeroom which got him away from this girl). My son said it’s been Heaven being in the new homeroom.

As for the lawyer, we didn’t want to start anything with this family because the father seems unstable, as do his kids. My son is discerning religious life, and really dislikes how foward the girls are (which I don’t see changing at another brick & mortar school. So, DH and I have to be diligent in providing social outlets for him.
 
I sometimes wonder if limited social interaction is better or worse than toxic social interaction.
 
That was our justification when we first moved him to cyber school.
 
Just to try to stay on topic, if I sent him to another brick & mortar school, it would be Catholic. Sadly, I’m not sure if the trend would be the same as we’re seeing now…the potential for certain classes being eliminated. Is this a national trend? Losing students then dropping programs?
 
It’s been a long time since I was in high school, but at my (Catholic) high school, a student was required to take Geometry as a prerequisite before Algebra II. Taking both at once would not have been an option. Calculus would have to be taken after Pre-Calculus, so he shouldn’t have to worry about who his teacher is for that for awhile.

Also, Latin was not an option because not enough students were interested in it. There was no need to pay a teacher to teach one class per day with only a few students in it.

It sounds like your son has decided what he wants, and if you have other issues with the school and his experiences it’s probably best. But the course offerings themselves don’t sound that unreasonable to me.
 
It was a Mennonite school, and he took a tour and did not like it. The kids were sullen and not friendly. Also, there was a mandatory social justice class he would have to take, and they didn’t jive with our family values.
 
Interesting. When I was in high school, I took Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II with trig, and Calc. So, a lot has changed. I’m not sure who teaches Algebra II, but he would run into the same teacher if he took stats, pre-Calc and Calc.

Actually, we asked him his choice…about staying another year. He said he didn’t want to. I think he just marches to the beat of a different drummer. Also, he is scared of a certain girl’s older brother.
 
Well, the hill to die on is the school not accepting him taking an intensive geometry class over the summer so he can get back on math track with Algebra II. His Honors Algebra I teacher even went to bat for him. No go. The school wouldn’t approve it. Wasn’t meant to be.
 
A little off topic, but there seems to be a division among the mennonites right now.
You’ve got the group of God-fearing, large families, plain (but not as plain as the Amish) clothes very conservative.
Then you’ve got what could be described as almost Quaker with the emphasis on (mostly liberal leaning) Social Justice…
 
Wow, I didn’t know that! They described some of their religious beliefs as anaBaptist. I have no clue what that means.
 
It means they baptize adults and not infants.
Anabaptists include Baptists, Mennonite, Amish and (I believe) United Church of Christ
 
This.

It comes from the root of “re-baptizers” because the original adherents did not think their infant baptism did the job.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top