Sharyland dampens student enthusiasm

To the editor:

Registering my seventh grade child for this school year has been filled with frustrations. Being an all-A student, I assumed she could take advanced placement classes (Pre-AP). Well, it is not that easy at Sharyland. If you are labeled GT (gifted & talented), you can take whatever you want. If you are not, you can take advanced placement in most classes except math. As a parent, I have gone up the chain from counselor, principal, curriculum director to school board member and no one can help.

My child is no genius, but she wants the opportunity take the Pre-AP math class. She scored a 100 on the state TAKS math portion of the test. But that does not seem to matter. The unfairness of the situation is that a GT child can take the Pre-AP math class without being commended on the TAKS. A GT child could have made B’s and C’s in sixth grade and can still take the harder math class. A placement test was offered to my child to see if she could score 88 or higher and qualify for the math class. She scored an 84. Again, GT kids do not take that test. I doubt all GT kids could score an 88. My problem is not with the GT kids. I think it is great they are allowed to take whatever class they want.

Sharyland ISD should let “other” kids take what they feel they can handle. I feel the vast majority of seventh-graders who are not GT are stuck in mediocrity in math because of this district policy.

Other parents out there, please speak up.

Oscar Rosa
Mission