Embracing a new concept or idea is not so easy under the best of circumstances. Doing so when surrounded by troubling situations is much harder. Trying to figure out what dual credit means and what is to be done about it seems trivial amid worrying about a cousin in Iraq, an ailing parent, the price of gas, bills that are piling up, a junior with college dreams, a spouse that cannot find work, etc. – so let the principals, teachers and counselors do their jobs.
As a teacher, I wonder about this new program and its ramifications. The logistics of setting up such a program for the 2008/09 academic year are mind-boggling. After establishing that there is indeed a need for it, suitably qualified teachers must be found to teach the courses. Then there is the matter of disseminating the information and deciding which students could form the pool of possible candidates. Creating this new pool may draw students from existing pools, but where else to get the students from? After the initial testing, the retesting and juggling of numbers begins. Well, let the principals and counselors do their jobs.
