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Remedial Classes
"But the level of work was better suited for an elementary student, so at fourteen years old, I made the decision to switch out of remedial classes."
By Bianca Butler
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High school tracking has come to the forefront of issues in the public education debate, as increased competition for colleges pushes students to take more and more Advanced Placement classes. One of the main conflicts over tracking centers on the race and class-based divisions that often divide the system. Many times, white and Asian students end up in the higher level classes, while African-American, Latino and Southeast Asian youth are mainlined into lower levels. People also criticize the system for its lack of fluidity, and the strict boundaries that can keep students locked in a single track throughout high school. Listen to Youth Radio's Bianca Butler talk about how she went against the grain and pulled herself out of remedial classes freshman year.
My freshman year of high school I was placed in remedial classes. While the idea was to get me caught up after having a bad year in middle school, I realize now that the classes did more to hold me back than to get me ahead.
In English, my class spent time working on meaningless reports about our favorite singer, while the college preparatory English classes read Romeo and Juliet and Animal Farm. My math class was a disaster too – my classmates ran around the room like preschoolers, and called the teacher profane names.
Despite my aggravation, I went to class and received A’s. But the level of work was better suited for an elementary student, so at fourteen years old, I made the decision to switch out of remedial classes.
I was encouraged by – of all people – my remedial math teacher to enroll in AVID, a college preparatory program. It was amazing. For the first time, I had a motivating teacher and ambitious classmates who were supportive and helped each other.
These days my high school is requiring additional remedial classes for incoming freshmen who have scored poorly on a standardized placement test. I feel a lot of sympathy for those students. It’s way too easy for kids in those classes to fall into the trap of believing they’re inferior to their peers. And when you feel that way, you just want to give up. Believe me – I had moments when I simply wanted to close my books and be done with it.
But once I realized I had every right to be one of the students reading Romeo and Juliet, I wanted more for myself. And I intended to get it.
Now, I’m graduating from high school with honors. And not only that, I’ve been accepted to and will be attending Sarah Lawrence College in the fall.
Not bad for a girl who started her high school career in remedial classes.
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