Should Madison Schools Drop Honors Classes?

The Madison School District wants to cut high schools honors courses over concerns they've become segregated. The district fails students of color at an alarming rate. Honors classes are disproportionately white. They’re rolling out a plan to drop standalone honors courses, in favor of “Earned Honors”, where all students take the same classes, but can opt for additional work and gain an honors credit on their transcript. 

Some students and staff say that the current Earned Honors program isn’t rigorous enough. Some parents fear their kids will miss out if honors classes go away. Will parents of high-achievers yank their kids from the district and send them to nearby suburban schools instead, destabilizing Madison schools? That’s the fear. But is the status quo working?  

The Madison School Board is set to vote on the plan on December 19th. We speak to School Board President Ali Muldrow about her concerns and how the Board might vote on this big policy shift. 

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