Parents Push Back Over Troy Schools' Honors Course Track

TROY, MI — Parents are pushing back after the Troy School District eliminated a freshman honors English course and proposed changing the district's middle school math curriculum.

The group, TroyHonors2023, launched an online petition protesting the district's decision to replace the ninth-grade honors English course with a new English course that all incoming ninth-graders will be required to take, and the district's proposal to eliminate all advanced placement math courses until eighth grade.

One concerned parent told Patch in a phone interview that removing the structural changes, including removing the honors courses, could mean fewer opportunities for advanced students to challenge themselves. She also said it can force lower-performing students to try and keep up with their higher-performing peers, something she said can be very challenging for students and teachers.

"If you have a lower performer and a top performer in the same class, the top performer may feel less challenged and lose interest in the study," she said. "And for the lower performers to work together with the top performers, you [students] can feel the pressure. It's not good for children mentally."

She cited one of her biggest concerns is that the structural changes and eliminating the honors courses can rob students the opportunity to learn at their own pace.

"...And now we're removing these honors programs, and they're creating something like a 'half a genius' class is not good for any children," she said.

Troy spokeswoman Kerry Birmingham told Patch in an email the district would not comment on an online petition without verification that any signers are Troy parents, but defended the district's math curriculum changes, arguing it better prepares students for advanced mathematics in high school and beyond.

"The current middle school curriculum is out of date and not in alignment with what colleges, universities and industry prioritize," Birmingham said. "The new curriculum gives us the opportunity to provide a deeper foundation for learning for our sixth and seventh grade students, which will better prepare them for honors and advanced coursework, beginning in 8th-12th grade."

Despite the structural changes to the math curriculum before eight grade, Birmingham said all high-achieving students will end up in the same place—Honors Algebra 1 in eighth grade, which is where students in honors sixth and seventh grade math end up now.

Moreover, the students would still be able to take Geometry in eight grade if they have tested out, which is the same system the district has in place now, she said.

Birmingham said there are no plans to change honors or advanced placement classes in high school either—except to add additional AP courses and more options through dual enrollment, middle college, etc.

However, another parent told Patch in a phone interview he has concerns about the immediate impact of phasing in students from the middle school honors math courses. For example, sixth-grade students in honors Math 6/7 being phased into a class called Math 7.

"The way they're putting it together is very haphazard, very rushed...and they want to do this in August with no pilot data," Suril Patel said. "Other districts that have went down the route of whether or not to track or detract generally have a longitudinal study, where they're looking at something like an NWEA, or measuring achievement and growth of individual students."

In a letter sent districtwide and obtained by Patch, Troy Superintendent Richard Machesky said "a politically motivated group funded by outside interests is orchestrating a campaign of misinformation here in Troy." He also said the unnamed group used parent directories "in direct violation of our policy."

The parent group said they have no political affiliations in a PowerPoint presentation during a town hall last week.

School officials will discuss the proposed changes at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the services building at 4420 Livernois.