Thanks for the replies---wisdom comes from those with experience, so I appreciate the ideas. To explain a bit more, SD has changed our high school educational tracks: Standard, Distinguished, and Advanced. The comparison is roughly no post secondary education, vo-tech training, and 4-yr university degree. By requiring all students to take Algebra II and Chemistry, I see two main problems: the students who struggle as is will now struggle to pass two classes they never would have taken on the Standard level, and for the vo-tech oriented students, this will put a kink in their ability to fit in their four years of shop/vo ag classes. We happen to have an exceptional vo ag program, with a teacher who wanted to expand, because of the changes in our Vo-Tech schools. I am frustrated because of what this does to students who do not plan to attend university. I feel like it is forcing all students to take the university track---and some students just are not cut out for the rigors of these classes. I just thought I could get some down-to-earth input and start writing some letters to DOE, not that it will help since this was a legislative action. Thanks, again.