<p>bigtrees & raiderade,
My point wasn’t about successful careers, it was about having choices.
Agreed, either can succeed or find difficulty. There is a big difference (in my opinion) between 5th and 8th grade where I was suggesting the classes (middle school for us is 6-8). Please note I also suggested volunteer work at libraries and continuing with scouting, neither of which would be considered too much for a 5th grader. Keeping your student active and engaged, in whatever capacity during the summer is a good thing.
A parent should never insist, however if your child is capable and has plans to attend university, there are things that should be considered prior to their Jr. year to help keep options open. They can decide to attend university, take a gap year, go to work, etc. The point is, their choices will not be limited because they did not have the necessary classes a school requires.
Choices. Don’t we all want them? The choice in their Jr. year to take another year of a language or an AP art class that really interests them. They have this choice if they started foreign language that was offered in the 8th grade. If their parents didn’t help them think ahead and determine if this was a good option for them, there is no choice. If the school they want requires 3yrs of a language, that is your elective (no art class).</p>