I second your comments, @HootieA . LACs focusing on undergraduate research are fantastic options for bio/science majors. My URichmond graduate had so many opportunities for research, publishing, and presenting at conferences during all 4 years there.
She went on to a paid fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in DC, after graduating from UR, where she conducted research while she applied to PhD programs. The NIH investigator she worked for told her he was very impressed with her lab and research capabilities, and said she was already at the level of a 4th year graduate student.
The close relationships my D built with her professors and mentors at UR have been integral to her academic success and acceptance to multiple Phd programs. She built an awesome CV/resume while at UR, and had excellent reference letters.
Your D’s teacher is doing her a serious disservice by dismissing LACs across the board for students interested in science. To be sure, LACs are very different from large research universities, but perhaps a smaller learning environment is better for your D. I hope you can take her to visit a LAC or two with strong sciences. She can sit in on a class or two, talk with professors and students and decide for herself.
Perhaps she is feeling guilty that she will be disappointing her teacher if she attends a LAC, but it will be HER 4 year college experience, not her HS teacher’s.