Parents want some Troy school board members recalled over middle school honors track changes
Troy parents want school board members recalled over honors changes
Some school board members are leading a recall effort against the Troy school board over changes that parents say eliminate the honors program. They say changes to merge classes into a single track would harm students at the top and bottom.
TROY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Parents are gathering Friday to begin leading a recall effort against some Troy school board members over middle school honors track changes.
The school board voted in May to do away with the honors track for math in favor of a single track for all students. The district says proposed changes to the 6th and 7th-grade math structure are designed for preparation for all students in advanced mathematics in high school and beyond.
MORE: Parents upset as Troy school board votes to change middle school math track
"I think it’s a step in the wrong direction when we look at neighboring districts and what they're doing, and I feel that it puts Troy students at a competitive disadvantage," said Suril Patel, a potential parent of a Troy student.
The school district said the honors program is not going away.
"I think that’s patently false, and I think that's misinformation. I think that there's two different things that have happened. One is the removal of honors English Nine and honors English 10, the honors options for those two grade levels," Patel said. "As well as a change in the middle school curriculum, again removing the honors track, where students starting sixth grade and seventh grade would be able to take a separate math section. And this is an offering enjoyed by about 50% of the students."
Some parents say the changes would hurt students both at the top and bottom.
"We have no transparency on why they came up with this plan to eliminate honors English and honors mathematics, and we truly believe, and we have seen studies that it will actually harm students of lower performing students, students that need assistance, students that are average or performing to standard, and obviously, those that need a better, brighter challenge, those that would be in those honors courses," parent Rocky Raczkowski said.
He is one of multiple parents who support a recall of school board members.
"It’s about a standard that we expect as parents, especially in the Troy Public Schools," he said.