By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The fate of Physics First, which is a required course for Montgomery High School freshmen, took center stage as opponents and proponents alike made their case for dropping it or keeping it at the Montgomery Township Board of Education meeting Tuesday., In response to a parent-generated petition calling for freshman physics to be dropped that was submitted to the school board last week, students circulated a counter-petition seeking to keep the program., The petition, which was signed by more than 400 students and submitted to the school board Tuesday, acknowledges that while “there are flaws within the school systems that prevent students from achieving their goals, getting rid of Physics First does not solve those problems.”, “The problem lies in the inadequate preparation in the middle school-to-high school transition. Eradicating a program that has no proven flaws is simply wrong,” the petition stated. The physics program is multi-faceted and requires essays, labs and tests, and is “a good introduction to how science at MHS works.”, Nevertheless, parents continued to push for dropping physics as a requirement for freshmen, and also that freshmen should be given options for science courses. A diverse student body calls for diverse options, one parent said., Parent Ben Haftel said Physics First is an issue that needs to be addressed. It is a controversial issue, he said, adding that it is not an indictment of the science program. It’s just that when freshmen walk through the door, they realize there are certain courses they must take, he said., English and history are subjects that the students “are essentially used to seeing,” but science – physics – is different, Haftel said. He said his three sons found physics to be difficult, and suggested revising the science program so physics is offered in the upper grades., Parent Chuck Merkel said it’s not a Physics First issue, but a science issue. He referred to a survey conducted in connection with the development of the school district’s strategic plan. More than two-thirds of the students who took the survey expressed dissatisfaction with the science program, he said., Students also weighed in on the issue Tuesday night, and several pointed to the differences in how science is taught at the middle school level and the high school level., Alexander and Julia, who are both juniors at Montgomery High School, agreed that middle school students are taught to memorize facts and formulas in science class., But that’s not the way it works in high school, and it’s not the way one is supposed to learn science, Julia said. If science would be taught in the same way in middle school as it is taught at the high school, it would help, she said., Arnav, who is a sophomore, said that while he does not plan to become a scientist, the physics course taught him how to be analytical and how to solve problems. That’s the kind of skill that translates into other careers, such as law or politics, he said., “Physics helps students develop critical thinking skills. I urge you to keep ‘Physics First,’” Arnav said., But physics teaches much more than critical thinking skills, said Nathan, who is a sophomore. The petition circulated by the parents pointed to the negative social and emotional consequences of struggling with the course, he said., The parents may be correct, Nathan said, but struggling with physics taught him “what to do in the face of adversity” – and that is a lesson that applies to all aspects of life. Ultimately, learning how to deal with negativity and stress is “how you grow,” he said., In response to parents’ and students’ comments, school board president Richard Cavalli said the school board is not seeking to abolish physics. Instead, the school district administration will take a comprehensive look at the science program, he said., Everyone learns differently, Cavalli said., And as he did at the school board meeting last week, Cavalli praised the students for stepping up to make their case and for providing input. “You all are the pride of Montgomery Township,” he said.
