Tag Archives: high school

More College Courses for High Schoolers

Yesterday I wrote about FEMA’s Emergency Preparedness classes, and the ability to convert the independent study to college credit. Today’s tip is a little different. It’s only for high school juniors and seniors. California State University Dominguez Hills has a young scholars program. For $3.50 each (yes, that’s $3.50, not $350), your highschooler can take distance-learning courses from a fully accredited California State University. Two classes are offered each semester. That’s the only real downside. You get what you get. The two that just ended were Critical Reasoning and Television, Film & Theater. They’re three credit classes each. Six credits … Continue reading →

Perks of Public Education: V = Vocational Courses

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My perk for public education today begins with the letter V. V for me is for vocational courses. Many high schools now offer vocational courses for students. Elementary school and middle school students usually do not have the opportunity to participate in vocational courses. However for those students in high school, vocational courses are a big perk. Most high school schedules are set up so that students have the opportunity to take elective courses in addition to the required courses. A variety of vocational courses are usually offered. Vocational courses are not required but can they can help students make … Continue reading →

Home schooled Highschooler on your own?

I just encountered a question from a homeshooled high schooler who wanted to go to college. He feared that his mom had not taught him everything he might need to know to go to college, and felt that he was on his own in completing his education. He wanted to know what his next step should be. If you are a high school homeschooler and find yourself feeling uncertain about your chances of getting into college, I have a few suggestions for you. Contact the colleges you are hoping to attend. Find out exactly what they require of applicants. Look … Continue reading →

Should You Let Your Teenager Attend High School Dances?

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What is a high school dance? To a teenager, a high school dance is an opportunity for he or she to get together with their friends, listen to music, dance and have a good time. Dances are a time when relationships are formed between guys and girls. I still remember the high school dances I went to. I remember dancing with that certain guy who made my stomach jittery and my palms sweat. Conversely, I remember the pain of rejection when a guy I really liked never asked me to dance. In a way, high school dances are a way … Continue reading →

The Barbie Diaries (2006)

After watching and mostly enjoying the recent rash of Barbie movies based on different legends and fairy tales, I was curious to see “The Barbie Diaries.” I’m sorry to say that I was disappointed. To begin with, the animation was odd. Barbie looked nothing like the Barbie we’ve come to expect in the other films, and all the characters looked too real, as though we were trying to break through that Barbie mentality and see them as being real people. But that didn’t work either, because the details were missing. It was more realistic, and yet it wasn’t. The storyline … Continue reading →

The ‘Public Elites’

We have been talking about what makes for a great high school. I was surprised when I first started writing my compiled list of America’s Best 100 high schools that is was missing some notable names. Where was Bronx Science, and Stuyvesant? My answer came soon enough as I continued my research. These “public elites” are deliberately left off of the list because so many of their students score significantly higher than average on SAT and ACT tests. While I don’t want to take the space necessary to high light what makes all of these schools so special, I thought … Continue reading →

Trends in Secondary Education: Specialization

If I said that the public education at the high school level must make serious reforms–no one should be shocked. The drop out rate is at an all time high. An 8th grader 50 years ago, knew more “basics” than your average high school senior graduating today. Educators have been calling for reforms for decades. The buzzword used to be “core knowledge”. Teach all the graduating kids the same rigorous core curriculum, to bridge the knowledge gap and you’ll turn out kids who are equally well prepared for college. The problem of course is who decides on what should be … Continue reading →

America’s Best High Schools: The Top 100 (Massachusetts to Washington)

Is your child slated to go to one of the top 100 high schools? Here is the second half of a list I’ve started in a previous blog. What makes them the best of the best is that they have the highest porportion of students taking either Advanced Placement exams or International Bacclaureate exams. Massachusetts #82 Boston Latin Boston Maryland #15 Richard Montgomery Rockville #34 Bethesda-Chevy Chase Bethesda #51 Wootton Rockville #75 Churchill Potomac Michigan #9 International Academy Bloomfield Hills #55 Black River Holland Missouri #40 Metro Academic & Classical St. Louis New Jersey #83 McNair Academic Jersey City New … Continue reading →

Friday Night Lights—A Lesson In Proper Fitting Football Helmets

Our family has turned into a bunch of football fanatics. No, we aren’t glued to the TV all day Sunday or on Monday night (I’m not anyway), but with school back in session we have a standing date with a row of silver bleachers at two local high schools. Both my cousin and nephew are members of their respective high school football teams and we try to make it to their home games to cheer them on. After doing this for the past few weeks all I can say is… thank goodness my kid is not on the field. Watching … Continue reading →

Just Saying No to Recruiters

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Although the No Child Left Behind Act requires schools receiving federal funds to give student names, addresses and phone numbers to military recruiters upon request, the Springfield, Illinois, School District is providing the opportunity for students to opt-out of receiving calls from recruiters. Apparently the same school district tried this last year but their opting out choice was limited and kids who opted out of receiving information from recruiters also ended up opting out of receiving information from colleges and technical schools. According to district spokeswoman Carol Votsmier, “This was a concern for some families.” So now the new opt-out … Continue reading →