State plan harms brightest kids

My oldest son is everything one hopes for in a learner. He is eager, enthusiastic, hard-working, organized, thinks ahead and manages time well. He is smart and dedicated to every academic challenge. He’s in his second year at Ohio State University in piano performance, and he is a 4.0 student. And he’s 13.

In addition to being academically beyond his years, Alex is a master musician. In 6th grade, Alex took the ACT and scored high. He was accepted to Ohio State University and not only met, but exceeded every performance expectation on paper and at the piano.

These opportunities were provided through College Credit Plus, a state-funded program for exceptional students to learn at a college level before high-school graduation.

The state has submitted revisions that will remove applied music study to precollege students. Should this go into effect, students like my son Alex will be denied the right to continue, despite the proven success through high grades and immense growth and development.

The state of Ohio is obligated to provide every student an education that meets his or her individual learning needs and challenges. For Alex and students like him, this includes the highest level of applied music education. To deny this opportunity is an act of discrimination. College Credit Plus should not remove music study from the courses open to its qualified and highly successful students. Columbus