Posts by mellowskipper

I mean, they should just introduce some sort of specialized education track—you know, with more intensive teaching credits—and call it a day. Honestly, there's already a whole crowd of people doing exactly that in schools across the country anyway.

stormymarlin22 said:Not really. She won't be at a disadvantage, I guess. She could always just check which electives that specific school offers. It doesn't even have to be a language course.

It's a general public high school. I believe a second language is mandatory there.
But I suppose I'll look into it regardless.

driftingranger2 said:I've been grinding away at German for four years now and I’m still barely scraping by with the basics. It feels like nobody puts in the work; most people I know are just coasting with a 2.0 GPA.

Well, I didn't sign my daughter up for elective German because the schedule here in our district is just... poorly planned. It's in a completely different block than her other classes. Computer Science is also in a conflicting slot, and since she actually wants to take that, there wasn't much choice. Between that and her sports practices, I just figured it would be way too much for her to handle—it might have been overkill, I guess. Besides, she never really expressed any interest in it herself.
A friend of mine teaches English and another foreign language, and she mentioned that the general guidance—or at least the recommendation—in middle schools is to give encouraging grades for electives, regardless of what the student actually knows.
But now that my daughter has suddenly decided she's dead set on attending a competitive prep school, I'm starting to second-guess everything. I'm wondering what happens with that second language requirement, and if I made a mistake by skipping it. Will kids who stuck with it for all four years have a massive advantage over her? I suppose it's hard to say.

Adam Diaz67 said:Yeah. Math. Those general track students definitely had more options. Back in high school, we could choose from French, Spanish, or Italian, but they didn't offer anything like that for the math track; that was just for the general education kids.

Spot on. We actually had three different languages to choose from back then too—German, French, and Italian. I think I was being pretty naive, thinking Italian would be an easy win, but man... the grammar was an absolute nightmare.

Kenneth Garcia9 said:Maybe it just comes down to whatever generation you belong to. In my day, back in high school, you basically had to choose between basic or advanced German right out of the gate. That’s how they split up the classes...

That’s possible, and honestly, sounds pretty good.
We ended up in that introductory track, but the pace was just... intense. I basically had to memorize every single thing—it was honestly exhausting.

Nathan Garcia said:Washington, D.C.—I meant to write that earlier but totally blanked, my bad.

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Mine is also an 8R—it’s pretty much identical to yours, judging by what you're interested in—except she’s really into computer science and sports. She's creative too, so maybe I’d suggest looking into the High School for Graphic Arts, specifically their web design track. The curriculum seems decent enough, and it'll still leave her options open if she decides to head to a university later on.
Give their website a look.

Adam Diaz67 said:Back at my school, when we were enrolling, they offered either beginner or advanced German, plus extra math and computer science courses. They used those choices to organize the classes. In the end, one class ended up with the advanced German track, while the beginners had to pick between math or CS because there just weren't enough students—only about three or four of them—so they just split them into different tracks based on what they picked.

You probably attended some specialized STEM academy or a technical high school, which I guess explains why.
In my general high school, those options just didn't exist.

Nathan Garcia said:I need some advice here:
My daughter is currently in 7th grade, maintaining a 4.6 GPA. To break it down—she’s pulling 4s in four of her core subjects and 5s in two others, while most of her electives are mostly 5s. She’s already decided she doesn't want to go the traditional high school route; she’d rather head to a vocational school and then jump straight into college.
She isn't particularly drawn to math, chemistry, or physics.
She’s definitely more of a creative soul—she does dance and all that sort of thing.

Which vocational track should we be looking at? Obviously, the final decision will depend on her actual points from those core classes.
She keeps asking me which direction she should start leaning toward just to give her some motivation for 8th grade, but honestly, I’m stumped on what to tell her.

I'm not entirely sure if something like business or economics would suit her.
Sometimes it feels like guys have way more options laid out for them than girls do.

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What city are you located in?

I mean, I suppose learning a second language at the beginner level is one thing, but the sheer pace of it all—it’s just incredibly fast. Personally, I actually found myself crying. It was... well, it was just really difficult for me.

rustyowl7 said:northerntiger9, my daughter is in 8th grade now. She started 5th grade amidst strikes, then COVID, and then remote learning, so she’s currently on her 10th math teacher. I’m not sure whether to call it luck or just sheer ability, but she maintains an A without even trying, mostly because she has a father who is excellent at math and can walk her through it. But even so, you see massive numbers of kids heading to math tutors lately, and now I'm hearing the same thing about physics. I can't speak for the physics teacher, though, because my daughter understands everything they teach...

My 8th grader is seeing the same thing. They've cycled through seven different math teachers already. It's absolutely insane.
A huge number of kids are hitting up tutors—or whatever parents are doing to keep them afloat.
With mine, it's mostly math, or maybe a little STEM combo, and then languages.
Mine pretty much handles her own business, though I'll jump in here and there to explain things if she asks.

northerntiger9 said:Why would I stick to generalities? 😬 I’m talking about the situation in Seattle—it feels like, unlike in New York City, there aren't many great options if you're looking for a solid school that isn't a prep school. So, I'm asking for the third time: does anyone actually know if that's still the case, or has something changed?

I honestly haven't a clue; there's usually just this ingrained bias against vocational schools and this constant glorification of prep schools. I suppose I misunderstood your point—my bad.
As for Seattle, from what I can gather, there are a few technical schools, but I have no idea what their actual reputation is or what kind of students end up enrolling there.
I should also add—it seems somewhat odd for a city like Seattle not to have more variety, considering it is, well, a bit more progressive than most...

Kenneth Garcia9 said:northerntiger9 is talking about Seattle.

I assumed she was just speaking in general terms.
If that's the case—if there really isn't anything available in Seattle, but the kid is determined—then maybe a dorm in New York City is an option. It's certainly a possibility.

northerntiger9 said:I'm not sure if you caught my post a few pages back where I was venting about how we only have two real options here in the US—and usually, the one that’s easier to get into ends up winning out. 😢 I honestly wish we had—or maybe I just don't know—at least one solid technical high school that actually prepares kids for a STEM degree.

Regarding tutoring... it really comes down to the teachers. My kid had two different math professors who were great—everything was crystal clear, no extra work needed at home. Now they have a third sub, and suddenly everything needs to be re-explained or re-learned at home (or via a tutor if you can't find anyone else to explain it). I'm hearing the same thing from kids in other grades—even the ones who are naturally gifted at math. So... I completely get why parents are paying for tutors. It's not about padding a grade; it's about filling the gaps left by the classroom.

From the local tech academies and Tesla, I know a ton of kids who went on to join the FBI or USC, graduated successfully, are working in their field, and are making a very good living. It's certainly a better combo than going the general liberal arts route followed by a sociology degree at a state college.

In my experience, at least half of my current class is taking private tutoring—usually for STEM subjects, maybe some language help, or just a couple of people working with a study coach. I have no clue how many parents end up sitting down to help them study as well, but it happens. I guess.
Looking back at my high school days—it was probably about two-thirds of my grade—almost everyone had some form of tutoring going on. Whether it was a regular weekly thing or just sporadic help when things got tough... honestly, only two people from that whole group actually made it through college.

We just wrapped up integrals—back in our AP Calculus class—literally like the week before last. We didn't even get to a formal exam because we ran out of time; she just went over the fundamentals. Honestly, nobody had a clue what was going on.
Before that, we were grinding through derivatives—we spent quite a bit of time hammering away at those.

Sarah Hall53 said:Even back before the internet was even a thing—I didn't even have a TV in my room, mind you—I still couldn't catch a wink of sleep until well after midnight. And predictably, I’d be a total zombie by morning. Every single day.

Now, just imagine if you actually had the internet, Instagram, Snapchat, and all that nonsense at your fingertips...
It would probably just overstimulate your brain even more—which, I guess, would only decrease your chances of actually falling asleep or getting any decent rest.

Sarah Hall53 said:So, there’s actually some real science behind why teenagers stay up all night rambling and then can't seem to drag themselves out of bed until 10 AM—it’s not just them being difficult, or stubborn, or constantly glued to their phones and notifications. It’s actually down to what's happening inside their bodies. Basically, melatonin—that stuff that tells our brains it's time to crash—doesn't even start kicking in for them until around midnight. It’s totally different from little kids or us adults, whose systems start signaling "hey, go to sleep" much earlier, usually around 10 PM.

Actually, I think there is a massive connection to phones, computers, Netflix... and so on. Of course, that works in tandem with the delayed melatonin release. It's a recipe for disaster, I suppose.
"Scientifically proven"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4089837/

Henry Martinez2 said:I was one of those weird teenagers who actually went to bed between 10 and 11 PM.

Same here, honestly. After 10:00 PM, the TV was off, and by 11:00 PM, I was already deep in REM sleep. I’d wake up in the morning feeling fine—like a little bird, I guess.

nimblelynx7 said:Back in St. Louis, we have an arts academy—it’s technically a school for applied arts. I’ve had to swing by there a few times for work, and honestly, the scenes are pretty wild. We walked past dozens of students, and man, they are inspired by everything under the sun. Hair colors that look like a botched paint job from an auto shop, hairstyles that look like a failed experiment at a salon, and clothing styles that scream "natural disaster meets zero cares given"...
And yeah, every single one of them was smoking right out front of the building.

All art schools are like that, really—even our Shell institute in New York is the same way. >

fadedrider17 said:The only saving grace here is that you haven't been the one feeding her this nonsense—most parents are actually the ones who mess these things up in the first place.

I actually ended up being obsessed with graphic design.

John Palmer9 said:You should probably show her this article right away
cnn.com/success-stories/how-designing-school-newsletters-saved-my-career

I mean, you look at someone who studied hospitality, taught themselves coding and web design, and then actually built a successful IT business out of nothing... I guess a vocational track focused on design could be a pretty solid choice, really.

Great article, really good story.

Jason Ortiz5 said:Around here, you actually needed a GPA similar to what you'd need for a top-tier prep school just to get into the tech programs. Though, I think they only had one class per grade level, so maybe that's why.

The entrance exam carries the most weight here. There are two tracks: academic and athletic. If she wanted to go the athletic route, it would be based on school grades + the entrance exam + points from the athletic association.

hiddendriver34 said:

I honestly can't believe we're still talking about this, but here we go again. It feels like every time I turn around, there's some new debate heating up, and frankly, I’m exhausted. It's like watching the same rerun of a sitcom where you already know the punchline, only nobody is actually laughing. Look, I get why people are fired up. I really do. But if we take a step back and look at the big picture, isn't it obvious that we're just spinning our wheels? It’s like trying to drive a car with no tires—you can floor the gas all you want, but you aren't going anywhere fast. We need to stop focusing on the tiny, insignificant details and start looking at the actual foundation of what we're discussing. If the base is shaky, the whole house comes crashing down, regardless of how much you paint the walls. I've seen this pattern before, and it always ends the same way: a lot of noise, zero progress, and everyone walking away feeling frustrated. Let's be smarter than that. Let's actually tackle the core issue instead of just shouting at the clouds. kaže:
My daughter was actually looking at getting into graphic design for web work, but her school totally poisoned the well. They basically drilled it into her head that the whole field is a dead end and that everyone in the industry is just cutting corners and playing dirty.
So, she told me she wants to go to prep school because that's where all the "smart kids" end up. Honestly? It’s just pure pressure. She’s terrified that if she doesn't get in, everyone will look at her like she's some kind of airhead. It’s that classic fear of being left behind while everyone else moves on to the big leagues.
Coma.

When he started bringing up Isaac Newton, I was absolutely floored. 😵He ended up heading back to high school just a few days later, but looking back—and I’ve really given this some thought this time around—I truly believe that enrolling him at a place like MIT would have been the right move for him. It’s a shame he walked away from it. He’ll definitely have a backup plan, and honestly, he’ll probably end up getting into his first choice anyway, but man, what a missed opportunity.

Look, I’m not trying to micromanage anyone here, but I really think he needs to hit up the open house events at every single school he’s looking at. It’s just common sense.

Honestly, all I really want is for him to find a school where he’s actually happy, but one that still keeps him on his toes. It's that sweet spot between being comfortable and being challenged. But let's be real—trying to predict or pin that down from a parent's perspective? That's nearly impossible. It's like trying to guess exactly how much spice someone can handle in a dish before they stop enjoying it; you just can't know until they're actually sitting at the table.

I'm quite concerned given that she's an IP student, and I honestly feel she might be better off—and certainly less stressed—in the vocational program rather than the traditional academic track.

Jose Wells3 said:Take a stroll by the school while classes are in session. They’re always on the morning shift, then they head out for internships in the afternoon.

Check it out during an open house.

Is there smoking? Sure. But you'll see college students hanging around them too, so honestly, it's hard to tell who is who half the time.

I actually smoked with them back when I was teaching there. 🤣

Every school has its pros and cons, but I know for a fact they're obsessed with their rankings.

There's definitely more risky behavior, yeah, but it's not that old-school "dropout" vocational program it used to be. This principal—I'm not even sure if he's still there—really leveled up the school, and you have to give him credit for that, even if he wasn't exactly my cup of tea and didn't exactly focus on building rapport with the staff.

The faculty culture was... interesting, to say the least. You mostly had to keep to yourself just to make it through the day. Who knows what it's like now? Also... if you're the type of person who needs everything perfectly orderly and finds eclectic personalities off-putting, this school isn't for you. It's not a "family" environment, because even the teachers... well, they're pretty eclectic. 🤣 (I certainly wasn't "normal" myself—not in my style, not in my looks, and certainly not in my teaching methods).

We are definitely planning to attend the Open House at both the vocational school and the local arts academy. Let her see things from that perspective too.
In my day, the vocational school had a bit of a bad reputation—much like how people used to view companies like General Electric—but times change. Based on the curriculum, I'd say it's modern, and with the right prep work—which all the academic kids do anyway—you can easily ace the SATs and get into most colleges.
Given the current state of the elementary schools, I think we're prepared for just about any kind of teacher or teaching method.

Michelle Nelson4 said:Since when did technical high schools get such a bad reputation? I was just reading the other day that you need about 70 points to get into a computer technician program in Chicago, while for something like an automotive tech track, you’re looking at 77 or something along those lines—which is actually higher than what some of the local prep schools require.

My daughter originally wanted to go into graphic design for web work, but her school basically brainwashed her into thinking it was for losers—telling her everyone there was just out to cause trouble.
Now she’s insisting on going to an academic high school because, apparently, that's where all the "smart" kids go. I suppose she's just terrified of looking unintelligent.
It's a mess.

Kate Jackson4 said:Starting May 1st, just monitor the websites of the schools you're interested in.👍

Thanks. I'll be in touch.