Counter Appeal to MTSD Science Department Reevaluation

The physics department will do fine in the care of Buszka. He deserves utmost respect.

World Studies Honors and English Honors teachers make a big deal about how honors is extremely difficult and whatnot to the point where it becomes repetitive and annoying... yet parents complain less about those classes than they do for physics. Because physics honors does not pressure students every class for the first month to drop out, parents and kids assume that it is a fluff class, and when they struggle they blame it on the course. Some have said that it is unfair for the "2/3 majority" who are not performing well. This 2/3 needs to quit whining and take a class more suitable for them- just like any other subject.

good!

If students aren't succeeding in a class, it's not the fault of the order of the curriculum. If anything, it's the fault of the student themselves. Those that teach physics at Montgomery, last time I checked, do it well and have a solid background in the subject. If a student isn't succeeding, they either should not be in the honors section or aren't applying themselves enough. Or it's just a fact that they are not a math based thinker, which many are! That's a different issue entirely, but messing with the curriculum will have no difference in the performance of such students.

The science program at monty has taught me to think critically and given me a foundation which I feel confident in. I understand that 8th grade does not adequately prepare students but I feel that that is an issue which can be solved without dismantling the current program. While going through the Physics Honors curriculum it can be very frustrating but I truly believe that it prepares you for the rest of the science courses in Montgomery, as they all follow the same layout of questioning and it truly is effective.

Just wanted to mention that the problems that parents are experiencing come from a variety of factors of which we believe this petition helps to address. We do not place full responsibility for these problems on the middle school science department, rather we are suggesting that the program be altered to help assess students properly as one potential solution.

Physics Honors is a great course for freshmen. It taught me how to think scientifically and a great deal of independence.

I believe that what our program is doing right now is the most effective way to be able to teach us and the coming generations the sciences

Physics Honors my Freshman year was and still is my favorite class I have taken.

I study physics in college, but I wasn't particularly good at it in freshman year of high school. It took me a few years of work to truly become good at the subject, and at least a few weeks to become good enough at the 9th-grade level. It can be hard for some people to learn how to think physically, and for those people, there is a comforting culture in MHS that has existed since before 2009-2010, when I arrived. It says, essentially, not to worry about one's struggles in physics, since most schools don't force their students to take it until junior year. That if only we took this class in two years, all our struggles would magically cease. It's a pernicious idea, rejuvenated each year when a new group of students runs into difficulty in physics. But physics should be taught early in part because it challenges those people. What is it to "think physically"? In 9th grade, it is to know 2-6 equations (pieces of information) that may be applicable to a given situation, and then to be able to pick the appropriate one to solve a problem. This is a microcosm of all problem solving, in academics and in life: to know what may solve a problem, and then to figure out how exactly to do so. That is a skill that should be learned early and often. It is hard, the first three or 30 or, goodness do I know, 300 times. But pushing the beginning of that process two years down the road will do nothing to help people learn it; that is a comforting fantasy available to those who have a bit more trouble learning it - who more need to begin practicing it. Keep physics where it is. Don't give in to magical thinking. It would only hurt students' science education to do so.

Your AP Bio course in the 2012-2013 school year curriculum once gave us a reading to do for why Physics was placed first and why Biology was placed third in the sequence. I suggest the entire BOE reread that article.

Physics is essential as a foundation for the more complex sciences like biology and chemistry. However, the need for physics as a freshman entry course extends beyond understanding these topics to to include an understanding of how the greater world works. Most might say that biology would have more practical uses because it gives insight to life's design and its structure, yet this is assuming that life is the first most important thing. In reality, one must first understand the laws of the world they live in before undertaking the task of knowing what lives in the world. Otherwise, there is only confusion when trying to decipher complex operations performed by laws not thoroughly studied. Thus, physics is an integral part learning about the universe which is why there should be more focus on it through early introduction.

The Physics First program remains to be one of the best advantages Montgomery has to offer. Developing the critical thinking and reasoning that is important to every subsequent class will help students succeed.

Since it is true that us mere high schoolers have no authoritative power to make even the smallest changes, it is also tempting for people to give up as a result. It is also true that there will always be people who oppose, belittle, and shun on such movements. But since us students are part of Montgomery, it is at least worth the shot of making a call, even if it may appear as a tiny whisper in the ears of the higher authority. We try to put out a different perspective on the current situation going on in our high school. In our eyes, it calls to make amends to benefit everyone. In our sense, we try to optimize our current situation to be better for our future and other people's future situation. Had we all scrapped this attempt, we would have wasted an opportunity to bring out our thoughts. People who bring about negativity only see negativity in difficult situations. At least we saw an opportunity in a difficult situation for us. And for that, I implore you to keep having the courage to shun us. At least I have the courage to stand firm even if the outcome is defeat.

Hey, we are trying to maintain the status quo. We want it to stay the same.

papa bless

I thoroughly believe that the "Physics First" STEM curriculum order is one of the few advantages Montgomery High School has over other schools. Biology is an exceptionally complex subject that utilizes applications of both Chemistry and Physics, making it a substantially poor subject to introduce during freshman year. Additionally, Physics Honors does not simply function to "teach students physics," it plays a much larger role in exposing high school students to problem-solving and collaboration-based learning approaches that may be further applied to subsequent STEM subjects.

The way the school science curriculum works is great already. Does against it should spend their time studying rather than trying to change the system.

I'm a current MHS senior who agrees with the points made about keeping Physics First

This is stupid. Just scrap this and go study something else. Everybody here, listen up right now. Stop whining and face reality. The school won't change their plan because of whining high schoolers. The school can do whatever they want, whenever they want. It's their responsibility, and we don't stand a chance of changing this. Just give up, it won't work anyway. It doesn't matter whether anybody likes this or not, it's the school's decision, and we're powerless. Face reality, people.