While We're on the Subject of Ranting...

A copy of the letter I sent to the Town Hall style discussions about the removal of APs from my school:

I've been a little angry lately, what can I say. Something has to be said for the enjoyability factor of ranting over research papers.

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Hello, Ms. Yu,

I am writing in regards to the Adavanced Placement Discussion- Town Hall. I would love to be at the meeting, but I will be at home tomorrow, working on one of my final ASFA projects: The Math/Science Senior Research Project. However, I would like to share my thoughts regarding making ASFA "AP-free." As a Senior at ASFA, I have gone through the program, and would like to support others in the student body feeling as I do about this potential change. Please share this letter, if it is alright. Thank you.

Before discussing the AP, I'd like to say thank you to ASFA's Administration and Parents and Students for coming together at this Town Hall meeting, and showing interest in the school. It is a good thing to know that the people who are Living ASFA and have Lived ASFA (shout out for the Alumni) have a say in the future of the place we are coming from. Thanks.


Let me make my viewpoint clear. As a student at ASFA, APs have enriched my experience at ASFA as a student and as a person. I believe that getting rid of the AP curriculum at ASFA would be a step in the wrong direction.

Arguments I have heard against AP, and my counters:

1. Schools that do not have AP are teacher driven. ASFA Teachers ARE driven. Also, "p implies q" does not mean "q implies p". To say that just because schools without AP are teacher driven, does not mean that schools WITH AP are NOT teacher driven. This fundamental of logic is from what I have learned in my geometry class, as well as in my AP Stats/Discrete Math course. However, this is NOT part of the AP Curriculum. Our teachers are so dedicated, they teach above and beyond any curriculum, be it the one required by the state of Alabama, CollegeBoard, or even the curriculum of their own devising from years prior.
2. The availability of AP courses makes students who do not take APs look bad to colleges. Students who want to move ahead in specific areas should not be held back. If a student shows magnificent talent in any area in academics or department, would we attempt to say, aha! No, you must progress at the pace of every other student! Would we? ASFA has a School Report that is sent with every transcript to a college, conservatory, or any other places ASFA students choose to pursue education and career goals. The school report clearly outlines what is available to students, how the school works. I have seen a copy of this report. Schools that put emphasis on academic prowess ask that you not take EVERY advanced or honors course in the history of the world, but that you take what challanges YOU, in the environment available. This is fair. What is not fair, is giving every single student the same type of education. We are all individuals with our specific interests, capabilities. We are all offered the same potential in education in our core, academic classes. To judge us on the same scale would yield a poor sampling of ASFA. We thrive in being ourselves, creative to the fullest.

My arguments for the continuation of Advanced Placement curricula at ASFA:

1. Our teachers are the Best. Our student body is the Best. Why not show this off? Just because we can excel (and DO excel!) in the Advanced Placement curriculum, does not mean that AP is ALL we know. (As I refer to subjects in this section, all are the AP offerings of ASFA, unless otherwise noted.) Many of the teachers who teach AP courses let students know upfront that while they will be prepared for the exams, they will not always be following strictly AP guidelines, such as in Economics, Physics, (from my friends who have taken it) Art History, etc. What I learned from US History was not just to pass the exam, because goodness knows history is NOT my strong suit, but to connect events and understand cause and effect. In Chemistry, each year, I would say it is a fair estimate to say HUNDREDS of labs are done. We seemed to do one or two a week. These are not part of AP. And each year they are DIFFERENT labs. I walk past this year's chem class, I'll pop my head in and ask, "Hey, which one is this?!?" Only about 50% of the time am I able to hear and reply, "YEAH! That one was so cool!", because the other half I go "Seriously? That sounds awesome, but we didn't do that one my year! Sad face." Biology had us probing every environment of ASFA and beyond to McWane and the Botanical Gardens. Because of this experience, many of us are prepared with lab experience, learning experience, thinking experience.
   
2. This is about the Whole School. This opposition to removal of APs is not a Math/Science specific complaint. My core AP classes are filled with Arts students. All students benefit when they are taking an AP class and doing well. Colleges acknowledge this, and our students can be recognized on a standardized level. Personally, I believe that standardized tests are a necessary evil. They do not show the whole part of any student. However, the indication of doing well in an AP can be the platform from which a student can then leap to display their other abilities and dedication. There is some talk that Math/Science kids look better to certain colleges than Arts kids. I have heard this from adults, not so much in the student body. My response to this is thus: The ASFA mission statement makes it the goal to prepare all students to pursue not only educational goals, but be equipped with the tools to continue in an area related to their specialty. I would be sent out flat on my bum if I tried to apply to a Dance conservatory. But I am capable of pursuing my passion for Mathematics to become a signals interpreter at the NSA. One of my Math/Science friends is deeply set on going into Architecture. When she goes to an interview, she is always asked, "Why weren't you in the Visual Arts department, then?" It is fair then to ask an Arts student pursuing Music why they weren't in Music, or a Creative Writing student pursuing Med School why they were not in Math/Science. Again, this is about all our students.
3. For more, visit this petition signed by students and alumni http://www.petitiononline.com/ASFA_ap/petition.html.
   

I say again, our students, faculty, are Awesome. We can do so much more than AP, and we do. But if we CAN do well on APs, why not? Why not make it so that students can shave off college course hours or even semesters at most public and many private universities? We are saving them time and money. (Money that they can donate back to ASFA when they're in the workforce! Yes, this is just a small jest.) Why not get the national recognition? We are hardworking, talented, dedicated. That is why we came to ASFA, so we could pursue our varying interests at the level we are capable of performing at. To do anything less, offer anything less, is akin to NCLB. Each one of our students is gifted in a different way.

Our current offering of programs, classes, departments, allows students a pretty wide range to pursue our passions. Can you ask us to do anything less?

A better question: How can We, the Students, do anything less?

Best,
Azalea Vo '09
Russell Math and Science Center,
Alabama School of Fine Arts

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Avo

Woes

The middle class hurts in this country. The whole of America hurts in this financial crisis, rich, the poor. A bailout is necessary. But what kind? The middle class that saves, works over time, plans for a "brighter" future, must continue giving up that hard earned money. Times are tough for all of us. I agree that some sort of bail out must be in order. But I wonder, when we give these corporations the money for restructuring, finding footing... Will their workers be any better off? Or in this dance of overhauling infrastructure, will more employees find themselves shuffled out of the picture?

This is echoed in the world of college funding. To get outside scholarships that can be used at any school, there are often restrictions. These restrictions are often to be a minority [African American, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander NOT Mainland Asian] or show financial need. Middle class, then, is excluded. In the shuffling around of financial aid from colleges, middle class is Screwed. Royally. Savings tell the college, oh, you have money. You can pay for it then. Smiley face. So you sit down, talk about it, Plan for the Future, like you have always done. Okay, so how about a low interest rate loan? The government puts a cap on how much you can take in loans. And most of the low interest ones are available to those, guess what, with "Demonstrated Financial Need." Go ahead and rip a new one for the Middle Class.

I am probably naive. But it seems to me, that in this time of economic strife, the middle class with good credit and savings, should be the ones the government TRUSTS to pay back loans. I'm sorry, colleges, but $100,000 of annual income [before taxes!] does not stretch as far as it used to. Maybe it would be better for us all if we had taken that vacation. Not clip coupons. Get that BMW. Sure, we wouldn't have relative financial security, but hey, we would have saved time not going through the Sunday papers with our scissors. But hey, we would have destressed at that spa on the cruise. But hey, we would have been able to drive fast with the top down. And the colleges would give us more money. A whole lot of sense, right?

Right?

Those in the lower income brackets need the money from colleges. I'm glad that colleges acknowledge that, and that colleges find ways to help those who have need. But I implore that colleges also consider that other people need too. I'm not asking for a full ride. Or even half a ride. Just some help.

MIT, I love you. You know that. You are brilliant. Thank you for accepting me. I wish I could say yes, right now, that I will forever wear your brass rat. But I can't. I'm willing to take out loans, work study, work beyond work study if there is time [helllloooo UROP]. Any extra help could tip the balance though.
Caltech, WashU, You guys are awesome. Pasadena, you've got the best weather. St. Louis, you've got awesome public transportation. Thank you for accepting me. I'm willing to make it work. Give a girl some faith.
Gatech, The best international food markets are at your doors. And I love me some food. But you Georgians make it hard for an Alabama girl like me to get some financial aid. Thank you for accepting me. I could work around the tuition.
UA, you have welcomed me with open arms. Thank you, so much. You make me proud to yell Roll Tide at the TV screen, when I think of the hospitality I have encountered on your campus. Your campus is beautiful, and so are your people. Your honors college and special mentoring programs are amazing. The physics department seems so small and cozy. I'm still thinking of you. You are a school that seems to understand the economy, and making college affordable for students.
Harvard, Yale, I haven't heard back from you guys yet. But thank you for giving my application consideration. I appreciate that. I appreciate that both of you have revamped your financial aid policies in the past year. It makes dreams possible, truly it does. The normalization around 10% for generally the middle class income, makes one dare to think funding is possible.

Education is education. There can be no replacement for knowledge learned, wherever it be found, in or out of a lecture hall, in personal life or at a job. Education. I've always sought you. And there are many fine institutions to explore. They tell you with the right drive, persistance, talent, a wee bit of luck, you can go anywhere and do anything. I don't know about doing Anything. I will never be a gymnast. But you can go. Strive to go. Learn to appreciate, if you can't do. But in the going, can you afford it?

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Avo