Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Electives

So...I have a friend who attends a different school than I do.  One of the classes offered at their school is Consumer Math.  This friend does not enjoy math, let alone Consumer Math, so when the new semester rolled around, she wanted to opt out of this class.  She was told she couldn't.
However, that's not the bad part about this.  The bad part is that this won't even count as a credit.  Not a business credit and not a math credit; this will count as an elective.
The reason she wasn't allowed to transfer out was not because it's full-year class.  This is what she told me: "...when I tried to explain that [an elective is not a required class], he said that it's required for this school, but it goes on your record (?) as an elective.".
If a class is required, that class should count as a credit, not an elective.  Especially not when the student has not elected to take this class, but has been forced.  If you google, "elective definition", this is what pops up:

I see...
Even at my school, we have a required class for Seniors called "Take Charge of Your Finances" (shortened to "Take Charge", by students and faculty), however, it does not count as an elective, because we have not elected to take it, it is required.  It counts as a business class.
If my friend were to switch schools, on her transcript, that class would go under either "business", or "math", but most likely math.
In the state of Kansas, which is where both of us attend school, a person is only required to have three math credits, and Algebra and Geometry need to be covered.  In other words, if someone takes one Algebra class and one Geometry class, and one other math class, they're good.  Here's the link I got that information from: Information  Considering that that came from the Kansas State Department of Education...I think they know what they're talking about.
At this school, her senior year, my friend will also be required to take something they call, "Advanced Math", which is basically Algebra2, all over again.  It will count as a math credit, but it is not something she will need and is something that she should be allowed to opt out of.  Yet she isn't.
That is not right.
To call something an elective when a student is still forced to take it, is wrong and if you consider that an elective, you need to go to back to English class and learn vocabulary.
If you want a certain class to be required at your school, go right ahead!  However, if you are going to require a class, it is not an elective.  Count it as math or count it as business, Consumer Math would fit in either one, but do not count it as an elective, because it is not an elective.
Rant over.
~Katie

1 comment:

  1. Required math class that doesn't even count?? that's wrong and sounds more like punishment

    ReplyDelete

Congrats you've read the whole thing! Please leave a comment to show me that you're reading!