glperky,
Alright, so with all of that in mind, I'm leaning toward the following plan for your son:
Overall, I think that we need to bear in mind that a strong year of grammar and writing will be of huge benefit to your son, so these have to be priorities. The next thing to ponder is that he will need extra time in math, so we want to weigh that in the balance. The math level will also greatly affect what science he should do. So, I want to keep that in mind too.
I also want to weigh that he will be a 10th grader, so we don't want to shoot too low (in trying to pick up needed skills), but we don't want to overshoot either!
I honestly think that MTMM will be your best overall plan for the coming year. Even though your son has done Notgrass American history this year, I know MTMM will be an entirely different feel because we cover later American history in the context of world history. So, it actually would be a good follow-up, giving your son the global view of what he studied this year. Since we study American history in the context of world history in MTMM, you can actually list the credit for MTMM as Western Civilization 1880 - present.
The benefit to do MTMM will be that your son can do Rod and Staff English daily as part of his MTMM schedule. I would recommend English 5 as a good, solid year of English (which you will do daily, instead of the English 6 daily in MTMM). Then, the following two years of high school after that your son would do English 6, half as a junior and half as a senior. This is excellent preparation in all areas of English, including written work.
Your son will also benefit through having Write with the Best II, which is a solid writing course at the high school level. This will boost his writing skills and writing confidence prior to heading into the World Geography guide.
As far as science goes, since your son will be pursuing an elem. ed. major, he could do the Chemistry as scheduled in MTMM and adding in the beefing up options like Ellen McHenry's Carbon Chemistry in place of Evolution: the Grand Experiment and omitting the Genetics & DNA Kit and adding the Chemistry 101 DVD's instead.
This will provide your son with basic Chemistry credit with lab (which should be fine, since he is not going into a science-relate field and because his state and college do not have specific science requirements).
I would also ponder adding more to the Economics to be sure your son earns his 1/2 credit of Economics through adding to the base already in MTMM.
Link to ideas:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11286&p=81879#p81879
For reading, your son could either do DITHR 6/7/8 or do multiple progeny press study guides. Since your son won't get to our British Literature guide or our American literature guide, I would probably lean toward choosing titles in those two categories (keeping in mind the titles he has already done this year and keeping in mind that he will read some Brit. titles in the World Geography and World History guide).
This plan would allow your son to progress into the World Geography guide the following year with solid skills in place in needed areas in the 3R's. It would allow him to do the IPC science as a junior (as he'd have the needed Algebra I skills by then). It would allow him to excel in the writing in that guide and to use the lit./comp/grammar.
Then, his next year, he would progress into World History and do Biology as scheduled. He would also do world literature and the scheduled comp/grammar. I'd add Government to that year, since he will miss that in our final guides.
You may also need to ponder starting foreign language this coming year if you haven't already. You could consider adding Linney's Spanish, doing a lesson or two a day all year. There is also the possibility of adding a semester fine arts credit with MTMM, as I shared earlier today here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13491
The Bible in MTMM is credit worthy as written.
In looking at MTMM for your son, you could forego the Storytime due to his age. You should have the Extension Pack, or as much of it as possible. If you absolutely could not afford it, you could do without it, but I typically wouldn't go that direction unless really, really pressed.
Literature is an area where I would work to save some money, using the library for books and DITHR 6/7/8 if possible (if you already own the DITHR guide). This would be a cheaper option.
We do work with families on payment plans, and with using MTMM, you could economize some. We do offer missionary discounts to active missionary families on assignment who are required to raise their own support. Usually, pastors receive a salary, so they don't fall in this category. We pray you will find the fit you are seeking for your son!
Blessings,
Carrie