<p>“bunch of kids taking shop and earning the same gradepoints as someone taking AP Calculus”</p>
<p>That is why later in life you pay someone a ton of money to take care of your car, build your home…etc…</p>
<p>I wish that folks here would realize that snubbing someone else for choosing a career (or trade) that fits them does not make them ■■■■■■■■ or a lesser person. Not everybody wants to be a doctor, lawyer or CPA and not everybody can master engines, framing, or woodworking. It actually doesn’t make them a lesser person. Someday actually try the things these folks do, you’ll gain respect for what they do.</p>
<p>Whoah, way to read more into a post than what is meant. I mean that it is easier to make an A in shop than in calculus. So, change my sample class to home ec!!! And, now I will have insulted all the cooks and seamstresses!</p>
<p>Geesh!</p>
<p>I certainly wasn’t implying that people who take shop are ■■■■■■■■, in fact, I proudly display the carving of MOM that my youngest did in junior high shop class.</p>
<p>I know, I won’t insult anybody if I say that earning an A in study hall is easier than earning one in calculus.</p>
<p>It seems perfectly fair to me. Actually scratch that, it is pretty much UNfair to the child in question, but for everyone else, I really see no unfairness. Since the laws are now changing in Va, it is very likely that his record COULD follow him, and since you claim he is not emotionally disturbed, it is terrible that a record could follow him because of a custody dispute. And this is unfair to OTHERS how? </p>
<p>W&M and UVA look primarily at program (courses taken) and at the letter grades, not the weighted averages. Weighting systems are not an issue here. The curriculum at a school intended, I assume, primarily for treatment of emotional disturbances, may not be adequate to prepare a student for tenth grade at a “normal” school. Particularly in the parts of Va where a scenario such as this would be likely to play out. He will be doing another year of ninth grade, presumably the same as any other ninth grader. When he gets to tenth grade, any other advantage is gone. The math thing, who cares, many ninth graders in Va enter algebra 2 because the “gifted and talented” program (which is is selected based on 2nd grade test scores) allows them to do so. By 12th grade, most of these kids have not progressed past anyone else, at my school they end up at the same level as the other high achievers in math, albeit through a different path, which takes them through an extra year at the “SL” level of IB math. At AP schools, they probably take both stat and calc, which is cool, but anyone can do it. Just forgo an elective in place of the stat class. I know kids who have taken three sciences in a year, they chose that as their elective. That isn’t unfair. It is getting ahead maybe, but anyone can do it. Just like anyone could probably do a year of 9th grade at a private school and then repeat 9th grade at a public one.</p>