Conversations on AP Courses

One may believe that Masterman, a school that prides itself on academic rigor and exploration, would offer a large selection of Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Yet, there are only 15 out of the existing 40 courses; many students have found room for improvement.

In a recent poll asking  “How do you feel about Masterman's AP course offerings?”,  the majority of the 42 students surveyed answered they were satisfied but had a yearning for a more diverse curriculum comparable to other public high schools like Central or Northeast, both of which also carry an IB program. For example, Central offers AP classes like AP European History and niche courses such as “Sports Writing and Literature” or “Genetics Science and Society.” 

AP Psychology, AP Economics, AP Computer Science (offered at Northeast) were popular requests from the poll. Another group expressed a desire for more sections of already existing courses, as the current amount of classes causes scheduling conflicts. Jocelyn Goldstein (‘25) explained such conflicts: in her junior year, AP Seminar overlapped with AP Spanish, and she chose Spanish. Missing out on AP Seminar meant she would also miss out on AP Research, as AP Seminar is a mandatory prerequisite. On the other hand, another small group shared that they believed the current state of course offerings was overwhelming and that there should be more focus on honors-level classes.

In an interview with Principal Laurie and High School Dean Mr. Gilken, many of these statements were brought to their attention. Principal Laurie acknowledged that he would love to add requested classes. Still, there is a huge barrier to adding new classes or more sections of existing classes: the size of the school and the limiting teacher availability. “Adding another course would mean another course would have to go” because “there are not enough teachers for [additional classes],” he explained. Ultimately, he stated, “It's a function of the number of teachers available to teach.” He added that currently each grade level has four core-subject teachers, many of whom teach middle school and high school. Each teacher is limited to 3 preps, meaning they can only take 3 more classes. 

Additionally, Principal Laurie worried that if this implementation occurred, students would be forced into higher-level courses that they wouldn’t want to take. He used the addition of AP Psychology as an example, saying AP Psychology would replace the current honors Social Science—students would be forced into a new AP Psychology course or AP Government without the option of Social Science. To students who argued for more honors courses, he explained that those additions would come at the cost of current AP courses.

Due to the harsh limitations of sizing and staffing, Masterman’s administration faces challenges with expanding its course offerings. Despite these limitations, Principal Laurie and Mr. Gilken emphasized their eagerness to provide opportunities for students. Currently, they are actively working toward a potential AP Psychology course.