AP courses: How much is too much?
Upperclassmen at my daughter's high school visited freshmen last week to get them psyched about taking Advanced Placement, or college-level, classes.
They touted the advantages, mostly that the freshmen will impress colleges and potentially can get college credit in high school if they do well on the final AP exam. Needless to say, these classes are very challenging, with lots of reading, homework and constant difficult tests.
My daughter, a freshman, already takes one AP class, Human Geography (it's a geography/culture/population patterns class), and wants to take two and possibly three next year. She's a great student, but I think three is too many for a sophomore.
Behind this push is something the schools don't publicize: They get extra money for every kid who passes the final. The Palm Beach County School District expects to collect more than $6 million, or $659 per student who passes, this year. The money goes to teacher bonuses, training and exam fees.
I'm not begrudging teachers their bonuses or schools some extra money, but do we have to pressure the kids this way? I want my daughter to be challenged but not at the expense of her sanity.
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