Riverwood Student Speaks Out in Support of Controversial Biology Class

Katie Stanwick stood up to object when Riverwood parents recently complained that students taking ninth grade honors biology classes are being taught with the primary goal of passing tests instead of learning the fundamentals of the course.

"She said, 'Look, if the kids aren't doing the work, you can't blame the teacher,' " said Julie Stanwick, Katie's mother, who recalled the evening meeting.

Interim principal Ron Tesch sent a letter to parents stating that he is taking steps to address their concerns. It's attached beneath the photo on this story.

“Miss Young, I love her teaching style,” said Katie Stanwick. “A couple of weeks ago, a lot of parents were upset. I just think it was inappropriate. I was appalled.”

Katie said, what she enjoys most about teacher Elizabeth Young’s class is that she encourages critical thinking. 

“During the first quarter we had a substitute teacher, because [Young] just had a baby. It was a lot easier. The substitute taught with power point and we would take down notes and then the tests would pretty much be what we would learn from the power point,” Katie said.

Young’s class is much more challenging.

“She does a lot of independent work with us and enlists a lot of trust in us which I love. If you ask her a question, she won’t give you the answer right away. On the way to the answer she will have you think about other things,” Katie said.

For instance, if a student asks about mitosis, Young would respond with a question about how cells reproduce. “And we will learn the whole process of mitosis just because she didn’t immediately give us the answer,” Katie explained.

Some parents have objected to Young’s way of having students work independently in breakout groups. Katie describes it as a method that ultimately gives students more one on one time with the teacher, because in the end she brings students forward to discuss the lesson. 

“A lot of people will have polarized feelings because these are the most ambitious kids in this class. If things are difficult for me, I try harder. It’s not the teacher’s fault,” Katie said. “I feel like this is being blown out of proportion.

Julie Stanwick told Patch, “Katie has said this course is challenging. She may not make an A in this class. She may make a high B. She’s okay with that because she learns so much…I care that she learns critical thinking.”

Katie is not an average student or teen. She started a service organization called Girls Who Make a Difference that volunteers and raises money for other organizations that help people in need.

She told Patch that she plans to enlist in the United States Marines by the time she graduates from high school and intends to ultimately become a physician, but first she wants to become a nurse. “To become a doctor, it’s a long process and I’d like to start helping people now,” she said.

See also:

Concerns Grow over Teaching Methods at Riverwood

Fulton County Schools and Involved Riverwood Parent Differ on Magnet Funds from Overcrowding

Overcrowding at Riverwood Causing Safety Concerns

Riverwood Experiences Another Change in Principals

Former Riverwood Principal Will Take Over Riverwood for Interim