When the Counselor Got It Wrong: A Parent’s Journey Through Four Years of Misdirection

How one misguided voice nearly derailed a high-achieving student and learning to stand our ground.

Graduate

I still remember the moment — years ago — when our son’s high school counselor looked us in the eye and said he shouldn’t take Biology his freshman year.

“He’ll just fail,” she told us.

Not “he might struggle.” Not “let’s build a support plan.” Just a flat prediction of failure. I had tried to call the school to complain and the secretary forwarded me to that counselor…

It was shocking. Not just the assumption, but the confidence with which it was delivered. Our son was an all-A student, a high achiever with plans to attend a prestigious math and science academy his junior year. He had come from a private grade school where middle school science was taught by a college professor using an advanced curriculum. He was more than ready. Her whole assumption was based on the fact that she had a low opinion of private school.

We insisted he be allowed to take Biology. And he did fine — except for the complications that stemmed directly from the counselor’s scheduling decisions.

She placed him in an advanced math class that overlapped with Freshman Academy, forcing him to leave math…