Posts by silentmason4

boldbadger1 said:The local technical high school—they've got Google designer tracks (74.37 - 20 spots), media technician programs (72.4 - 20 spots), and computer technicians (75+ - 40 spots).

Just to give you some perspective on how those designer scores stack up elsewhere:

Scranton - 61.17
Des Moines - 64.90
Indianapolis - 61.99
Seattle - 63.99
Pittsburgh - 61.47
Miami - 67.59
San Diego - 70.06
Charleston - 47.61

Now, over in Washington, D.C., they have entrance exams—so people are hitting those 170 marks—which makes it almost impossible to draw a fair comparison, honestly.

How absurd is that? 🤦

hiddendriver34 said:Private schools can be a total game-changer for many kids and parents who have the means. A colleague of mine actually moved her child—who has an IEP—into a private vocational school after finishing sophomore year. Honestly? The kid completely blossomed.

In what sense did they blossom?
I mean, I could totally agree that it's great when kids who struggle in public schools get a way out through private education if their family can afford it—it definitely takes some pressure off the public system—but I feel like socialization is actually more important. And I don't just mean for that one individual (because, let's be real, if they have money and family support, they'll probably be fine regardless), but for the sake of society as a whole.

wearyharbor41 said:A profound silence regarding the treatment of children. (To avoid being repetitive, I would suggest reviewing my signature or any of the other threads I have initiated or contributed to) 🥱

I don't really know much about the specific topics you usually bring up, and honestly, this is a bit of a tangent from your usual posts, but I have to say—reading through this thread, I find myself completely agreeing with you on one thing: that total silence toward children is just wrong. It’s something that’s been weighing on my mind while reading this. 👎

I honestly can't stop thinking about that whole situation. It’s one of those things that just sticks in your brain, you know? You start off thinking one thing, maybe feeling a certain way about the direction everything is heading, and then suddenly the rug gets pulled out from under you. I’m sitting here, probably overanalyzing it more than anyone else ever should, but there's just something about the way it all unfolded that feels so heavy. It’s like when you're watching a high-stakes drama on HBO and you just *know* a twist is coming, but you still aren't prepared for the impact when it actually hits. Anyway, I'm just rambling now—my mind is clearly elsewhere! kaže:
Honestly, the idea that you have to be some kind of straight-A prodigy just to qualify for honors classes is total nonsense, and what’s even more frustrating is that the teachers are actually the ones backing it up. It feels like they expect you to be flawless in every single category. You’re supposed to excel at everything, show intense interest in every subject, and somehow possess an immediate, deep affinity for every topic they throw at you. It’s just not realistic.
So, I’ve been sitting here wondering—and please, be honest with me—does everything you touch just turn to gold? Like, does every single thing you set out to do work out perfectly on the first try? Or are you actually capable of messing something up once in a while without feeling like the weight of the entire world is resting on your shoulders? I mean, I definitely struggle with that guilt trip sometimes!

It’s honestly pretty obvious when you look at it—teachers must feel like they’re absolutely crushing it when you see how almost all of them, specifically those who don't teach English, express themselves in writing. It really makes you wonder!
And honestly, look at the professors—they’re just regular people who finished some high school and maybe a state college somewhere. For them, that was plenty good enough back then, and even today, they aren't exactly held up as these perfect role models, despite working in the classroom every single day. It feels a bit backwards, doesn't it? Yet, we turn around and tell these kids they need to be absolute prodigies on the piano or violin just to stand a chance at getting into a competitive STEM academy. It’s quite the double standard!

Kate Jackson4 said:Please, enlighten me... what exactly is "fair" about this scenario? ☕
Why on earth are students with lower scores moving forward?...

Well, she’d have to move out to Washington, D.C., just to get through college!

I was just sitting here thinking about how much life changes, you know? It’s funny how certain things just stick with you. I was scrolling through some old threads earlier—you know how I get, just wandering down memory lanes—and it really hit me how much our perspectives shift over time. Sometimes you think you have everything figured out, and then life throws a curveball, or you realize you were looking at the whole picture through a tiny little keyhole. Anyway, I didn't mean to go on a tangent there! Just one of those moments where you pause and reflect. Hope everyone is having a decent day so far. kaže:
They’re just moving forward because nobody actually knows what the threshold for extra points should be. If they just set a flat rule saying, "Hey, you can only move on if you have, say, 50 points," then absolutely nobody from that specific county would make the cut. It's a bit of a mess, really!

What do you think this thing is missing?

Lord Byron said:Flirting just isn't my thing. It’s not even about feeling betrayed or anything—it’s more that it feels incredibly silly, and I just don't want that kind of nonsense cluttering up my space when I'm with a partner.

Lost. But hey, there are still plenty of us left out here. 👍
I think I might be a little neurodivergent when it comes to this stuff, and probably with other social cues too. To me, flirting just feels like... I don't know, acting like a complete clown.

Noah Moore61 said:Well, that’s usually how life works, isn't it? You meet someone new, and you eventually realize—mostly because we can be pretty slow on the uptake sometimes—that things are actually much better this way. No more holding onto bitterness, anger, or old grudges... because love is supposed to be good. Just let Peter go, give my friend a break,
and move on with a clear conscience.

Exactly. And honestly? I never hang out with those people anymore. It just feels awkward and messy whenever we're all in the same room. Whatever, we went our separate ways and that's that. Peace out.

Kenneth Brown5 said:Kids are just sitting out in the hallways, sometimes even hanging out in the library instead of being in class.
I just wanted to say that seeing this is honestly pretty degrading.
It really speaks volumes about the people calling the shots—from the local school board and the state department down to the teachers who just walk right past those kids sitting on the floor without saying a word.
I seriously don't get how anyone can look at this and not feel a little bit ashamed.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy A50 using Reddit

👍

Well, it certainly says a lot about them, doesn't it? It actually reminds me of a certain historical mindset where people would basically argue, "Hey, they have a choice—if they don't want to sit in the hallway, they can just take religious studies instead."

Sarah Hall53 said:Honestly, over here, religious studies isn't really the headache—it's more about the bus situation, since we have so many kids commuting. The school bus doesn't roll around until after sixth period, so if you aren't signed up for those elective classes, you're basically stuck there until the end of the day.
Usually, we just find an empty classroom, cram everyone in there, and stick one teacher with them just to make sure nobody starts a riot—you know, just keeping the peace. They end up doing homework, playing tic-tac-toe, or just scrolling through their phones... Or, if parents sign a waiver letting them leave, they just wander around town for a bit before catching the bus.
And generally, if someone has a gap in their schedule because of electives—which happens all the time since we have so many teachers traveling between different schools to squeeze everything into a couple of days—we just stick them in a "study hall" with whatever class happens to be at gym during that block. Everyone wins. 😛

That actually sounds like a solid plan. 👍
Actually, any kind of organized setup during that time sounds good to me. It’s just unacceptable to me that a kid would be sitting stuck outside a door in the hallway or hiding in a restroom, like someone else mentioned here.

Susan James said:The rule is simply that religious studies should be treated on equal footing with other standard subjects (aside from other electives or maybe advanced math).
Everything else basically boils down to how the school interprets things and how much pressure parents apply.

If we start pushing for strict new regulations, we might end up creating a parallel curriculum system (like some of these critical viewpoints suggest). If you're being smart about this, I wouldn't recommend going down that road—not for the sake of your own kids or future generations. We already have enough to deal with in high school.
Thanks, but we don't need more complexity.
Plus, why waste taxpayer money on hiring extra staff for subjects that feel unnecessary?

That said, anything can be organized if you stay persistent and get a little creative.
Don't settle for half-baked solutions either.
Ask questions, and don't be afraid to offer your own suggestions.

Am I really supposed to be "persistent and creative" when it comes to figuring out how to fill scheduling gaps for kids who aren't taking religion class? 😕
That’s not my job description, and frankly, it's not something I care to solve myself. I just want to know the kids are being looked after. How the administration handles it is up to the people whose actual job it is. If they think the best way to handle it is by offering a different elective, then fine by me.

Sarah Hall53 said:Around here, if parents sign off on it, students are actually allowed to head out once they hit a free period in their schedule. It’s all done under their own responsibility—as long as they check in with the teacher on duty first. That way, there's no confusion about who's accountable if anything happens.

But wait, if they aren't heading out, what are they actually supposed to be doing during those religious studies classes they skip?

Alright Karen, so where does your kid sit during religion class then?

Alright, so I was actually wondering if there’s an official rulebook or some kind of policy on this. Honestly, I feel like one should exist—it seems like such a common occurrence, and we shouldn't really be leaving it up to a random tug-of-war between the school administration and parents to decide what's fair. But as far as I can tell, there isn't one. That's just the way it is.

Yeah, I actually went ahead and double-checked, and I got the exact same answer—it’s just not explicitly laid out in the regulations. Since there isn't a formal rule on it, it really just boils down to how much leeway the principal gives you or how much a parent decides to push for it, which is pretty much what the SBA says.

I've been wondering lately—is there actually any legal ground to stand on when it comes to school scheduling? Like, is there a specific law or a set of district regulations I could point to if I wanted to complain about a totally nonsensical timetable? For instance, imagine a situation where religion class is squeezed right into the middle of the regular school day for a class where half the kids aren't even enrolled in it. It just feels so disjointed.

What actually happens to kids who skip out on religion class when it’s tucked right in the middle of the school day? Like, is the school required to provide them with some kind of alternative programming, or are they basically just left to their own devices to wander the halls and do whatever they feel like?

Oh, come on... nooo. Should we just go grab some White Castle while this post finishes loading?

Honestly, if she ends up leaving again, don't come crying to me—it'll be your fault for constantly messing with her head.

What's going on? It feels like everyone and their mother just jumped over to Discord. I guess we don't have quite as many regulars here as Nick does on his own server, so at least it’s a little less crowded here for once.

Kate Jackson4 said:It appears they might soon mandate national exams for all 8th graders... rumors are swirling 😉

What's the point of all that? Between those tests and then having to take entrance exams for high school... why do we need to make things so complicated?

I think I’ve completely lost my train of thought here. Where did Peppa say she took her high school entrance exams? And didn't Jacob Sullivan91 take hers right after college?
Honestly, I can't for the life of me remember how those high school applications worked. If Jacob Sullivan91 didn't take a gap year between high school and university, then you'd usually be applying to two different high schools at once before you even finished middle school.

Does anyone know which high schools in the Chicago area only have classes in the morning?

Drew Johnson2 said:My dad ended up selecting a bunch of subjects for him—everything from chemistry and biology to physics, geography, and technical studies...
It was basically designed so there wouldn't be a single moment where he could just sit back, shrug his shoulders, and claim he didn't care because it wouldn't affect his enrollment status.
But, as luck would have it, he actually qualified for every single one of them. He even threw in a prep school as a sixth choice, even though it wasn't technically an option for him, just to see how much weight his application might carry...

Do you know what his GPA was?

rowdypanther12 said:Since sixth grade is wrapping up, everyone is starting to talk about high school options and crunching their GPA numbers. 🤷

...and then they’ll probably change their minds a hundred times before they finish being an eighth grader.
It’s like every week brings a totally different vision. One day it’s wanting to be a surgeon, the next it's a makeup artist. 😬

But honestly, that shouldn't stop us from swapping notes on all the different schools—if anything, we should be doing more of it. I actually heard the principal over at Lincoln High was just on the news, and apparently, he’s incredibly hands-on with everything, from the heavy-duty admin stuff down to just chatting with the students. On the surface, that sounds absolutely fantastic, but I can't help but feel like there might be a catch somewhere. o.O

Peter Rogers said:She hasn't even really gotten out there to experience all the different parts of nature yet, so she can't exactly claim to be an expert on gardening or anything like that just yet, right?

What do you mean she hasn't? What grade is she even in?
Hold on, are we seriously talking about high school curriculum for kids who are only in fifth or sixth grade? 😬