At first blush, I’d be horrified if the student teacher was leading the class.

But then, I start to think: which of the two is the better teacher, the “normal” teacher or the student teacher? Frankly, some younger, fresher teachers with stronger content knowledge (or just the willingness to learn it) can be MUCH better at teaching AP than the older, jaded, and less-interested (or interesting!) teachers. Remember that most departments end up giving AP courses to those with seniority–not necessarily the best teachers.

College Board doesn’t have a police force. It has some rules that are routinely flaunted. I don’t think CB says much of anything about the use (or abuse) of student teachers.

But again, the question is not so much about age or experience: it’s about skill and knowledge.

I’d have to know a lot more about the particular circumstances before I could pass judgment, but you are quite right to ask the question and I think it’s worth investigating a bit more. Start by talking directly to the classroom teacher in charge, expressing your concerns, but also your support for training new teachers to help new generations of kids pass the AP English exams.

What does your student have to say about this? Should he or she approach the classroom teacher instead? I always like to find ways for students to advocate for their own learning, wherever and whenever possible…it’s great preparation for college life and beyond.

I hope this helps!

I don’t know that there is a recommended teacher-to-student ratio for a HS AP course. I guess I would be more concerned about the quality of the teacher than the precise number. I do know that AP teachers (the good ones, anyway) provide a ton of individual feeback to students. So the larger the class, generally the less feedback per student. But again, it depends a lot on the teacher. What’s the issue, from your end? Are you seeing large classes?

Thanks again for visiting!