Budget lesson part of a required high school class

**imagine** · 07-26-2011, 05:29 PM

There is a required class for all Freshman at my son's high school. Part of the class is budgeting

This is from the syllabus

"In a effort to simulate maintaining a balanced household monthly budget, students will convert biweekly grades into dollars which represent their source of income.

Students will "pay" monthly fixed expenses, such as rent, food, transportation, clothing, entertainment, etc. In addition, students will randomly select paper slips containing "unexpected expenses" that pop up in everyday life"

It sound like an assignment continuing for the length of the class. It also sounds like their "income" could be varied. Turn in an assignment late or fail a test and your current running grade would drop thus your income would drop that payday to.

Sounds interesting and educational.

**pollypurebred39** · 07-26-2011, 05:30 PM

Wow! I LOVE that!!!!!

**craftypam** · 07-26-2011, 05:36 PM

That class should have been going on for YEARS!!! How sad we learn about things we cannot use in everyday life and nothing about running your finances. No wonder people don't have a clue!!

**ImEmile** · 07-26-2011, 07:28 PM

Sounds like a great class! I wish I'd had something like it in h.s. I did take a consumer and personal math class which helped me a lot, but I wish I'd had a class helping with the budgeting and other lessons I had to learn the hard way.

**lottaLove** · 07-26-2011, 07:44 PM

When I was in h.s. they had 3 levels of math - Advanced (university prep math), General (college prep math), and Basic, which taught you skills you would actually use on a daily basis, such as how to balance a checkbook, calculate taxes, compound interest, etc.
I never understood why they thought only people taking the basic math courses would ever need these skills. I spent countless hours learning advanced calculus which has honestly been completely useless for me in my life. I am 100% in favor of teaching kids math they can actually use.

**Nishu** · 07-26-2011, 07:46 PM

Just wait until one of the accounting class students offer them a line of credit based on their popularity factor and backed by future grade earning potential. Then they can use their new Bank of Washingtonville High credit cards to buy their groceries and furnish their new imaginary apartments with imaginary big screen TV's.

**KimZ** · 07-26-2011, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by imagine

There is a required class for all Freshman at my son's high school. Part of the class is budgeting

This is from the syllabus

"In a effort to simulate maintaining a balanced household monthly budget, students will convert biweekly grades into dollars which represent their source of income.

Students will "pay" monthly fixed expenses, such as rent, food, transportation, clothing, entertainment, etc. In addition, students will randomly select paper slips containing "unexpected expenses" that pop up in everyday life"

It sound like an assignment continuing for the length of the class. It also sounds like their "income" could be varied. Turn in an assignment late or fail a test and your current running grade would drop thus your income would drop that payday to.

Sounds interesting and educational.

I had a class like this in High School.... and that's why I became an accountant! I LOVED this class! I can even tell you what my job was.... I owned a Bicycle Shop! I had a modest income and kept all my creditors happy!!

What state are you in? I went to HS in NJ

**imagine** · 07-26-2011, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by lottaLove

When I was in h.s. they had 3 levels of math - Advanced (university prep math), General (college prep math), and Basic, which taught you skills you would actually use on a daily basis, such as how to balance a checkbook, calculate taxes, compound interest, etc.
I never understood why they thought only people taking the basic math courses would ever need these skills. I spent countless hours learning advanced calculus which has honestly been completely useless for me in my life. I am 100% in favor of teaching kids math they can actually use.

This is not a math class. The required math classes are algebra I, geometry, algebra II, and a math class with algebra II as a pre requisite There are even higher math classes if you already took the one or more of the other class before high school or tested out. Four years of math are required.

**imagine** · 07-26-2011, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Nishu

Just wait until one of the accounting class students offer them a line of credit based on their popularity factor and backed by future grade earning potential. Then they can use their new Bank of Washingtonville High credit cards to buy their groceries and furnish their new imaginary apartments with imaginary big screen TV's.

One class in the business department is setting up and running a student run financial institution and store. Do not think they are going into credit though. Just withdrawals/deposits and check cashing from set up checking accounts.

**Nada.Leona** · 07-27-2011, 07:01 AM

They should build on this plan and bring back home economics!

**McD** · 07-27-2011, 09:34 AM

I think it is a great class. My high school offered home Ed ( varied courses such as child development, cooking 1, cooking2, etc) and consumer economics.

I wish people taught these things at home as well.

**imagine** · 07-27-2011, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by McD

I wish people taught these things at home as well.

I agree

In my daughter's 4th grade class they did a bit of budgeting more like bill paying while learning to right checks and add and subtract ( balance a checking account)

The teacher ask the class if they have ever seen their parents budget. Little Miss was the only one who raised her hand.

We also have Home ec department at high school called family and consumer sciences with a variety of classes. There was more time in the students schedule to take home ec in middle school almost everyone took one or two semesters of it ( even the boys ) Buddy loved that class but seems to have abandoned the home ec classes in high school in favor of more career orientated classes. He is taking a pre-engineering class this year.

**Missy** · 07-27-2011, 03:17 PM

My oldest two are taking "Home Life" as one of their electives. (the other is Sign language)
7th Grade Courses

click electives, then click interdisciplinary, then click Home Life

This is in addition to a budgeting class...

**mndtrp** · 07-27-2011, 08:20 PM

It's a good start, although it might be more beneficial as a junior or senior class. I'm not sure the stuff I learned would remain in my head clear through High School. So many new things going on, so much to ingest.

**fernykins** · 07-28-2011, 11:28 AM

I think they should teach it all four years of high school and junior collage. By then it might sink in. We didn't have anything like that when I went to school. My parents didn't do very well handling their money.
Fern