Teen Took Biology Course Instead Of Gym - CANNOT Graduate

[matcom]

<snip>

BOW, N.H. -- Skipping gym will cost Isabel Gottlieb her high school diploma.

She took Advanced Placement biology instead of physical education and is now one gym credit shy of the requirements for graduation.

She's appealed for a waiver, but officials at New Hampshire's Bow High School won't budge.

Isabel said she isn't too worried, though.

She's already been accepted by Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

College officials have told Isabel she'll be OK as long as gets her General Educational Development, or GED, in time.

And her mom is planning a "non-graduation" party for Isabel.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4466761/detail.html

[Mutley]

1. rediculous

that they value GYM class over advanced placement biology. UGH

[matcom]

2. its 'No Child Left Behind' you know

:eyes:

[Mutley]

9. hmmm

where are this country's priorities? ?? ????? ???????

[LifeDuringWartime]

22. in NYS

you have to pass gym to graduate.

[Mutley]

27. yeah

i had to pass gym to graduate too... i just think it's crazy that this girl did so well in HS and she can't graduate because of a stupid gym class.

[CBGLuthier]

3. Oh yeah

Cause god forbid a child should go out into the world without a full grounding in the intricacies of Dodgeball.

Fucking sports obsessed country.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

I have no sympathy....

She wants to go to Trinity? Gees, anyone who voluntarily moves to Hartford SHOULD be held back.

[PittPoliSci]

17. as much as i'd love to agree with you...

i think that gym class should be mandated for graduation, even though I wasn't particularly fond of it myself. Sometimes its the only exercise that these kids get, and I feel that EVERYONE in this country, not just kids, needs to exercise more. It may not hold the educational value that an AP Bio class may have, but, at least in my school, you learned about health in gym class as well, which is very important.

[SoCalDem]

20. In most schools, there are waivers to be had, or substitutions

A friend's daughter had asthma, and was allowed to take life science.biology/health...a number of alternatives.. and in our school system, you only need x amount of "phys ed" units, and have 4 years to complete them 9-12 grade..

Sounds like someone screwed up here.. maybe the counselor?

[PittPoliSci]

21. that sounds right.

i know the girl who was valedictorian at my school had a lot of her gym classes manipulated so she could only take them on a "pass/fail" basis so gym wouldn't hurt her gpa.

bottom line is someone, like a conselor, screwed up since they can make such changes.

[underpants]

4. No one caught this beforehand?

Amazing.

[fob]

16. Like her guidance counselor? I had to meet with my GC in High School

to go over my class choices as part of the Gifted Program and in fall of my senior year one of the classes I had signed up for was either canceled or moved timewise so I had to pick another. After several iterations the GC came up with a schedule that had me REPEATING a class I had taken as a Sophomore! I offered to take a different class that I wasn't interested in even, but he approved his version.

Well that was a boring ass 2 weeks before that "smart move" was scuttled by higher ups and I ended up taking some english literature class that sucked almost as hard. So I can see the scenario this girl is involved in happenening very easily.

[MountainLaurel]

19. Ours were worthless too

Including the one who, in assisting my brother with college applications, either didn't know (my guess) or didn't bother telling him that because of the state's disability laws, he could attend any college in the state TUITION-FREE. Bro didn't find out until his first semester when his college advisor through the athletic department (he was there on a partial track scholarship) informed him.

[MadHound]

5. Well, unless she is completly foolish, this is her own fault.

She knew what she needed to graduate, but didn't take the class, ergo she doesn't graduate. Yeah, I know that taking gym is a royal pain, but it is required. But doesn't sound like this girl will be effected too badly, take the GED and has a school waiting. Sounds like pretty much a non-issue to me.

[johnnie]

6. Gym is required

I'm sure she knew that. I know this is a bit ridiculous, but then again, why should she be excused from what other children must do?

[cestpaspossible]

7. I had to makeup gym in order to graduate.

I was in all sorts of advanced placement classes as a senior, but I too, did not have enough gym credits to graduate. So for the final few months of high school I had to go to gym 3-4 periods a day...

[Kat45]

26. I had to do that too, my last term, but then I got sick

and I wasn't able to make all the classes up. I can't remember what happened, but I think I got a waiver or something because they let me graduate. (And since I was near the top of my class, I would have been mighty pissed if I couldn't graduate. Particularly since our gym class catered to the atheletic kids and was terrible for the rest of us.)

[Reverend_Smitty]

8. I don't get it...

if she needed gym to graduate then how did the administration allow her to schedule AP bio? If her school was anything like mine, you had to go to a guidance counselor and they would make the schedule with you...you'd think someone would know the graduation standards

[redqueen]

10. Proof our education system has its priorities straight.

:eyes:

[barackmyworld]

11. why would she do that? Pretty dumb if you ask me

Gym might be a silly requirement, but why would you just not take it? I had to take gym, and "general music survey" and some other crap instead of more AP classes.

[miss_kitty]

12. There is still funding for PE?

Who Knew?

:shrug:

[tjdee]

13. Looks to me like someone thought she'd get over.

And the school is being petty.

She probably went, "they're not going to not let me graduate, I hate gym, plus, I switched it for bio."

Well lookie lookie.

It *is* pretty stupid, though--one friggin credit? How stupid is that?

[Abelman]

14. How awful!

Yes, what terrible priorities our country has, where we value physical fitness instead of AP Bio. Where we think someone should properly plan their schedule when they know they have to take a certain class.

I have no sympathy.

Gym class, at least my gym class, wasn't about dodgeball or pummelling the weaker at all. It was about learning proper physical fitness, how to exercise, how to stay fit. We learned how to weightlift, we learned rules for different sports. We learned basic teambuilding skills. It's the type of thing the students learn at the school I work now.

Maybe it sounds crazy to some, but I find it important that students learn these things, especially with the obesity problem we have. We certainly won't combat it entirely with gym class, but it's a piece of a bigger puzzle.

[AngryAmish]

15. I guy I know is a doctor but not a high school grad

GOt caught smoking dope in school and kicked out right before graduation. He was already accepted to college and they never checked.

[bleedingheart]

18. Something smells fishy to me...

I don't know how this school handles student class schedules, but her guidance counselor should have been able to catch this "glitch" well before this girl got close to graduation.

[gizmo1979]

23. No common sense

Who doesn't have enough gym!I had like 10 extra gym credits.

[Wapsie B]

24. It's the same here too.

But if they want to prevent someone from graduating it should be for more than missing a gym credit. As far as instilling the love of exercise in a largely sedentary student population I think it would be better to have different levels of the class just like any other subject. As it is kids of various athletic levels are lumped together, the jocks with the couch potatoes. I didn't particularly enjoy it for that reason. If one were to have experienced little successes along the way I think we'd have more people with an understanding of the benefits of regular exercise. Instead of having the fat kids run laps till they puke give them a program of power walking.

In this case someone at the school messed up.

[GalleryGod]

25. Yo, Matt! Ain't that Guckert Guy workin' for MattCom News yet?

I thought you had offered him "a position" with your company:shrug:
(in a manner of speaking)