D is a senior taking an AP chem class (2 class sessions out of 7). School changed AP Chem teacher this semester (middle of school year). New teacher is not qualified to teach an AP level class (first year(different district): taught integrated curriculum science classes; started teaching at this school district this year (reg Chemistry classes, Physics classes, honors and regulars) and has only a Chemistry minor; after this year, a total of 2 years experience).
I emailed the chemistry lead and asked why there was a change made and got the usual answer, “Admin changes were made to the Master schedule to benefit the teachers and students.” I have met the “new” teacher and she did not come across as competent (not for that level) nor am I confident that she could prepare my daughter for the AP test. I also met the department head and he told me that he had forwarded my concerns to “the powers that be” regarding scheduling.
I am wary of challenging the administrative decisions, as D is a senior and there could be retaliation. Schedule changes are not possible due to courses (5th year Foreign Language) and availability of open sections.
I suspect there is little else I can do but wanted to see if anyone in College Confidential had any ideas.
At this point, the course is 2/3 over already. I doubt there is anything you can do about this other than be thankful your child has a science teacher who minored in the science they are teaching. The AP chem curriculum is comparable to freshman chemistry and shouldn’t be above the ability of anyone with a chemistry minor to teach. I’m not sure exactly what you are expecting, a graduate degree in chemistry?
I’m curious as to why you think she did not come across as “competent”
Having a minor in something is more than many teachers who teach x, y, or z have. Your D could always do additional preparation on her own in order to pass the AP test.
Really, what good could come out of challenging this? What is it that you’re expecting?
The reality is that no school wants to change AP teacher halfway through the year either, like as not they don’t have many options up their sleeves. What happened to the old AP teacher? Schools can’t find great AP chem teachers on a whim. Anyway, lucky the kids have the internet, right? Because the resources out there are phenomenal.
My thoughts were the same as the first two posters. A college minor in chemistry is more than enough to teach AP Chemistry, which is simply first semester freshman chemistry. I’m curious why the teacher came off as “not competent” to you when you met her (presumably for less than an hour).
Just because she’s only been teaching for two years doesn’t mean she’s not qualified to teach AP Chemistry, either. It may mean that she’s not as experienced at the previous AP Chem teacher, but experience isn’t necessarily the same as qualifications.
What kind of retaliation could the administration possibly do to your daughter? What kind of school does she go to that you fear retaliation for asking questions about her teachers?
If that is the case, then i would recommend contacting ********* (science department head) to change into either ******** or .(Edit - I just read that you had already done that). Then you should contact the counseling department by saying that the department head agreed(assuming he did) to a schedule change to L or M*****. I had a few friends who got random unexpected teacher changes, and by contacting the department heads of the respective departments were able to get the teachers they wanted.
I do agree that M****** is un(der)qualified to teach AP Chemistry. A lot of my friends who have her say that she is way worse than O****** (the teacher that left because she apparently had too much work). I don’t know why M******* and O******* switched teaching schedules.
The College Board website says there aren’t any “formal requirements” a teacher has to meet to be able to teach an AP class. I agree with Romani. If your daughter seems concerned about passing the exam, have her do some extra prep on her own.
I did not suspect a credentialed teacher who has a minor in chemistry was unqualified to teach the introductory college chem course, but now i know better. Apparently one must at minimum have a chemistry BS, better a MS or PhD.
Hm, from what I recall in college, those teaching an introductory college chem course had the BS in Chemistry (at a minimum). So if an AP Chem course is supposed to be college level,… LOL.
DiffMom–Very similar situation happened to my kid. I say follow your gut on teacher competence. Different kids learn different ways. Some need a teacher—some can get it from a book. You know your kid and his/her learning style. If it’s important for your kid to score well on the AP test (and he/she won’t get all of it from looking at the book), get a tutor. In fact, ask the old teacher you were comfortable with to tutor your kid. It can be pricey–so evaluate how much it’s worth to your kid. As a senior, your kid’s final chemistry grade (as long as it is passing) won’t affect college admissions. Best of luck.
I teach AP Chemistry. My nephew attended HS in another town where the HS did not offer AP Chemistry. As he progressed through honors chemistry, I provided him with materials so he could self-study for the AP exam. He’s a bright kid, and he got a 4 on the exam. So a student can excel on the AP exam even without an AP Chem teacher.
Why did you meet with the teacher and admin in the first place? Is your child having sudden difficulties and did she complain that the new teacher doesn’t teach well?
Get a Chem AP prep book. It should have everything your child needs to know for the test in it.
I don’t think there is any inherent reason why a relatively new teacher can’t do a good job. They probably have more enthusiasm for the material and assuming they are young, may connect better with the students. I’ve noticed that new teachers tend to expect more from students, and in my opinion that’s a good thing.
" from what I recall in college, those teaching an introductory college chem course had the BS in Chemistry (at a minimum). So if an AP Chem course is supposed to be college level"
I think you’re way too hung up on credentials. My daughter had a highly experienced teacher for first year chemistry in high school. He had all that experience but she had a lot of trouble staying awake in his class.
Excellent points. Those in the know KNOW that if is teaching a class, it’s absolutely essential to * to the . If that fails, you MUST call in order to avoid ***. As a last option, don’t EVER forget to the ****** or you are completely *******.