An Open Letter to Wayne LaPierre:

I do not want a gun. My fellow teachers do not want guns. My students do not want me to carry a gun, nor do they ever want me to be in a position to have to use a gun. I do not want any free training in how to use a gun, as some teachers in Utah had this week. I also do not want your guns because I do not want to infringe on your Second Amendment rights. What I do want, desperately and fervently, is a measured, reasonable solution to the problem of military-style assault weapons and magazines. I know that your proposal hits a cord among those who want to keep children safe, but I see it as a ploy to get even more guns into people's hands while ignoring the complexities of this dilemma.


The fact of the matter is that we cannot address all of the mental health issues plaguing our youth and young adults, but we can address, easily and cheaply, the very real intersection of guns and mental illness. The one common denominator among all of the mass shootings since Columbine is that the shooters had easy access to assault weapons. This is where the conversation needs to start. So keep your guns. Just don't try to put one in my hand.

Sincerely,

Olga Polites

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20130103_Letters_to_the_Editor.html

What is College Prep?

Recently the Lenape Regional High School District changed the level designations for courses: Level 1 is Honors, Level 2 is Accelerated, Level 3 is College Prep, and Level 4 is Modified. This has provoked a great deal of discussion among students and parents, particularly the new college prep designation.  For many years Level 3 has been the place for students to be exposed to college prep work (i.e. reading novels and plays, writing essays, etc.) but moving at a slower pace to accomodate the academic needs of students who might have deficits, and would therefore not be ideal candidates for Level 2.

The overwhelming majority of Level 3 students do in fact go to college, so changing the designation to College prep is not only appropriate, but necessary. We will now be in line with most high schools across the state in how academic levels are identified. 

Some argue that colleges will be confused by the new designations, and admit students who are not truly college prep.  This is unfounded because all student applications include a school profile that specifically outlines course selections and their degree of difficulty.  In addition, weighted class rank reflects how rigorous a student's schedule is, and therefore gives colleges a fairly accurate picture of their academic ability. 

In college, students must be appropriately placed in English and Math classes.  Some colleges place students according to their SAT scores, while others ask students to take a placement test.  Since this infrastructure is already in place, we as high school teachers need not fret over level guide designations.  In addition, many classes that are designated Level 3 include Art, Music, and Computer Applications, and those teachers hold students to a college prep level. We have a responsibility as educators to provide students with a pathway to higher education, not an obstacle to that goal.