<p>High school keeps student from graduating:</p>
<p>kissy - my son was in a similar situation. We were lucky however that a local high school in our area although 30 min. away offered a gym course as a summer school course. His guidance counselor got the info. for him, and was behind him all the way in taking it over the summer (before 12th grade). When I told other parents that, they had never even heard that you could do this. Pays to check around, but always make sure your school will accept the credit.</p>
<p>Here in NY PE is required every year of High School and you are required to Pass.You also cannot substitute other PE activities as I know you can in other states. I have known students over the years who cut too many times and were failing and had to attend summer school after their senior year to make it up and get their diplomas.
The only difference I see in the newspaper story is I can't understand that if the PE was required why the school didn't insist it was on her schedule.</p>
<p>It probably couldnt "insist" it because it was this student's choice as to which of the classes she needed to drop to add it to her schedule. </p>
<p>This is clearly an example of the media not being critical about the story because "AP Biology vs. Gym" plays into the notion that our education system isn't working. This just isn't a good example. </p>
<p>It really isn't an "AP Biology or Gym" story. Clearly she ALSO had the option of dropping either Band or Chorus. If you read the story, it makes it very clear the school was not necessarily requiring her to drop an AP, but rather one of two music courses. Why did she need two music courses? That is the excess here. </p>
<p>I don't feel much sympathy for this student. It would be a totally different scenario if this student was being forced to take gym despite having properly met the requirement at her old school. It would be a totally different scenario if AP Biology was the only AP science class available to a student who has taken all of the other honors level work, and she had to sacrifice academics for an inflexible gym schedule.</p>
<p>This girl is lucky Trinity is sympathetic. I think it could easily be argued that this girl chose not to follow the rules, despite knowing what they are. That is not the type of individual certain colleges would bother to accept.</p>
<p>cathymee - At my son't school he is on BLOCK scheduling. At his schools this means four classes the first semester, and four the second semester. If you are in band, art, choir, etc. then you have already used two credits (for each one) because you have to take the classes both semesters. A real nightmare when you need to take required courses plus the fact that you want to take art & band.</p>
<p>I have to agree with MassGuy. While I feel for the kid in terms of logistics and what does seem to make sense in terms of priorities, it is simply a school's policy as to which courses are needed to graduate. We don't have to agree with these policies but we have to follow them, like everyone else. Students/parents can advocate for changes in policies (long process but my child has accomplished this on behalf of students other than herself), but in the meantime, the policies must be followed. </p>
<p>I happen to think that varsity sports SHOULD count toward gym but in this girl's present school, that is not how it is done. Again, philosophically and logistically, I agree with that family but I think it is her own doing to not follow the graduation requirements. While I think it is great that she is in band AND chorus, here it is difficult to do both. My oldest child was in band and chorus in middle school but could not do chorus in high school as well as band so chose band (and jazz band). She had to fit in everything else, like everyone else. Also AP Bio, while important, was not needed to graduate and not necessarily needed for college. But in this girl's case, I would have opted out of chorus for the final year and done some outside singing activity (community chorus? musical? voice lessons?), to get that gym credit. So, while I feel for her reasoning as to what is more important for college, she still has to follow the requirements for graduation. I think the school should allow alternate credits for things like gym. I don't know if her school has any "independent studies" or "alternative credits" in their policies but that may have been one way to accomplish this....or taken gym at a community college or some other way....or dropped chorus in the final year. </p>
<p>She is lucky indeed that a college was willing to take her without the diploma but many schools will do that but not all. </p>
<p>We have gone through our own gym "dilemmas" here but we worked them out. We might not have agreed with everything and had to advocate or get involved, but we certainly did not just skip out and do what we felt like without working it out with the school. So, in that regard, I don't feel sorry for this girl, nor do I think this is news. It makes it sound like the school was anti-academics to insist on gym instead of some academic subject but it is truly a case of the school having graduation requirements and this girl did not follow them. I'd have rather seen some advocating for alternative gym credits rather than shirking the rules. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>there is a lot more here that is not included in the article. According to the school's website, the BEST program includes CPR (frosh year), health and STDs (soph year), physical fitness, and career/college apps planning (Jr/Sr). Thus, it's just not PE as we know it, and it looks like they did give her credit for sports since they only required one BEST class (and we don't know which one it is). </p>
<p>Moreover, the student did enroll in the class, but chose to drop it and keep something else (for a 'better' HS experience). IMO, parent choice.....no whining s/b allowed.</p>