LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Specialty centers have advantages and disadvantages
Dear Editor,

[In the Dec. 13 issue,] there was an article concerning the various specialty centers offered by Chesterfield's school system and the fact that none of these centers are meeting their enrollment goals. Speaking from the experience of a parent with a student enrolled in a specialty center, there are pros and cons to having a student in one of the centers. The pros are that students are placed with other students who have similar interest areas. Each center has put much effort into its curriculum so the classes are well constructed and executed, and they offer a good education for average and maybe above average students.

However, one of the largest cons is that the curriculum offered by some centers is very rigid, and this works against the brightest students. Students are not allowed to substitute an AP course for a center course even if they are able to perform at the AP level. Doing a substitution helps the student's college applications but will remove them from getting a center's diploma.

As my son is a high school junior, we have been visiting colleges. Every college has told us that they want to see as many AP courses as possible on applications. They have even implied that the only thing that should be holding a student back from taking an AP course is that it is not offered by the school they attend. Center students are only allowed to take AP courses as electives, and this can decrease the total number of AP courses taken, thus hurting their college applications when compared to students who have more flexibility.

Before enrolling in any of the specialty center programs, parents and future students should be aware of this fact. Substituting AP courses for the center courses is not for everyone, but the brightest students will find it a wonderful challenge and a good idea for their futures. Perhaps if the center programs become more flexible and students challenge themselves "to the max," enrollment will increase.
Melissa Holly
  Midlothian