Opinion: Seniors Should Be Able to Go at Their Own Pace at Carter High

All around Knox County, students are able to complete all required courses prior to their last year of high school. Carter High School seniors are not given the option to finish their classes that way. They are supposed to complete the required classes per year. For instance, Government and Civics is to be completed Sophomore year and Personal Finance is to be completed Senior year. If students were able to go at their own pace, their motivation to go to college or a trade school may be increased. Although this may be unfitting for some, those who want to get a head start into college or trade school should be able to complete their courses early. Mykala Faucette, a former student from Gibbs, was able to complete all of her senior courses the summer before what was supposed to be her junior year. Faucette was able to get a head start into attending Tennessee School of Beauty (TSB) and is now a successful hairdresser at an Aveda Salon. Students from West High School, like Emma Taggart, are able to complete courses whenever they are ready. Taggart completed her AP U.S History and AP Government in one semester, which means by the time she is a senior, she will have most of her courses completed. Carter High School should consider offering a pathway similar to West High and Gibbs. West High seniors are able to have “free periods” their senior year if they have three or less credits to complete. If Carter High offered a program like this, the success rate of former students would go up. It is proven that if students “take a break” from school, they are likely to either fail, dropout, or not return. The dropout rate of college freshmen is 60%, so, if students could start their college courses early, they are likely to stay in school longer and get a degree. Carter High School should consider allowing students to complete courses at their own rate.