Raising HS science requirements may = poor college performance

[noimagination]

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Well I have to confess that I don’t like the legislature choosing the curriculum either and so sent my kids to an independent school that has a true college prep curriculum that still has art and athletic requirements. But like I was saying, my kid ended up taking most electives in the humanities. I suspect if I knew my kid had a more specific passion, there were schools that would meet that need as well, Magnets included.

It’s marvelous that you had the opportunity to send your child to a good private school with rigorous, interesting academics. The same is not going to be true for every family, and that’s the problem with your argument. You are equating taking classes to learning and discovery, a relationship that is extremely tenuous at many schools in this country.

your H’s students are lucky. my brother is a hs science teacher and says the same thing. There is no reason to teach cell biology in 9th grade bio! no one teaches gross biology anymore. Teach it the way it was learned over the years by biologists - plants and animals and learn the classifications on a gross level - not a micro level that young minds often can’t visualize.

I’m just going to point out that this is subjective. Biochemistry is the only thing that has kept me sane in AP Bio this year, because I utterly despise the more macro aspects of biology.

I’d like to introduce the idea that once kids have been ‘sold’ on pursuing science, math or technology careers, they are faced with the prospect of industry offshoring and H1B visa ‘guest workers’ that drive down salaries. Not an exciting prospect.

This is a fact of a globalized world that is going to be felt by all fields over time. The most personal services are safest, and things like medicine and teaching are very available to STEM students.</p>