Finally, AP classes

It only took the 11 years that I spent complaining. My school is going finally to offer Advanced Placement classes and I will teach AP Literature and Composition next fall when I return.

For those of you who do not speak educationalese, AP classes are for highly motivated students who are willing to work at an accelerated rate. It is really more like a college class than a high school class. In May, the College Board (the AP and SAT people) offer nationwide tests based on the AP courses. If a student performs well enough (usually a 3, 4, or 5), universities will generally give that student free college credit.

It has been my contention for my whole career that our students, who are mostly poor, should have at least the opportunity to earn free college credit. For 11 years, colleagues told me that it would never happen. I chose not to believe them and acted more shrilly with each passing year.

Over the past several years, we have found that perhaps 10-20 students each year go to high schools that offer AP courses. This year, my school lost 200 students. That loss isn't entirely due to the lack of high level classes, but it didn't help. The superintendent asked for volunteers and I put word in that I was interested.

This past Tuesday, I spent the day at an AP training seminar. Since then, my head has been spinning. Based on the Michigan Merit Curriculum, I have chosen four themes (all connected to leadership qualities): 1. Who's in charge? 2. Tradition 3. Breaking the mould. 4. Power and Fear. My next task is to create a list of poems, short stories, plays, and novels to teach the class. The literature must range from classical to modern (post-colonial and late 20th/early 21st century).

This task is both enthralling and frightening. Enthralling because I have always wanted to teach an AP class. I am, however, scared to death because I fear that my shallow intellect will be painfully revealed. I'm worried that the College Board will reject the syllabus that I create (they must approve it). Finally, I'm completely terrified of the time I'll have to spend grading papers.

Unlike the other potential AP teachers in my building, at least I'll have the opportunity to create this syllabus with nothing else to do.