Civ Ed for all Freshmen - Why Not?

Scarsdale High School Principal Ken Bonamo gave the first education report of the year at the October 7 Board of Education meeting and, based on his presentation, the high school is thriving. Teachers are making great use of the professional development programs available to broaden their horizons and deliver improved product for their students. Students are able to choose from an array of exciting and innovative course offerings, including multi-disciplinary courses and additional technology classes, and are also benefitting from low student-teacher ratios. The counseling system provides ample support to students, and the principal-to-student ration is in sync with other high performing school districts.

Mr. Bonamo pointed to average SAT scores as a measure of success, although one could make the argument that that this is as much a hallmark of Scarsdale parents' willingness to make a financial commitment to their children's success on the SAT as it is an indication of high school superiority. Similarly, the extremely high level of enrollment in 4-year colleges can be attributed to our population.

Regarding the Advanced Topics program, a topic no longer as controversial as it was during its conception and roll-out, Mr. Bonamo was convincing as to its superiority to the AP curriculum. Drawing on his experience as an AP History teacher, he was able to provide concrete examples of where students missed out when forced to adhere to a strict curriculum, rather than apply course concepts to relevant topics. As to the impact that not offering Advanced Placement classes has on Scarsdale High School's place in the popular U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek high school rankings, Mr. Bonamo downplayed their importance, and he explained just how easily those rankings can be manipulated.

The presentation was overwhelmingly positive, and left no doubt that our high school – Scarsdale's crown jewel, as it is so often called -is something to be proud of While the high school deserves its sterling reputation, is it possible that Mr. Bonamo missed an opportunity to point out weaknesses in the current program that could be easily rectified with increased funding? One example that comes to mind is the Civic Education program. Civ Ed, as it is commonly called, is offered to freshmen, and incorporates multidisciplinary English and History curriculum as well as community-building and counseling components. Currently, enrollment in the program is done by lottery, and not all who apply get it. Those who don't get a spot in the lottery, or who don't want to be in Civ Ed, are enrolled in Freshman Seminar, a less robust version of Civ Ed. Why is the school unable to accommodate all freshmen in Civ Ed who wish to be in it? If the issue is purely financial, this would have been an opportunity for Mr. Bonamo to ask for additional support.

Current or former high school parents - what other current programs would you like to see expanded or improved?