7 ms·

Virginia moving to eliminate all accelerated math courses before 11th grade

29 points by CyberRabbi 6y ago

Bostonian 6y ago
I hope this is stopped. If not, after-school programs like Russian School of Math will see increased enrollment from parents who are not satisfied with public school math. My 3 children attended RSM.
busymom0 6y ago
> During a webinar posted on YouTube in December, a member of the "essential concepts" committee claimed that the new framework would exclude traditional classes like Algebra 1 and Geometry. This is crazy. I grew up in a South Asian country before immigrating for University. Even in my first year in University, I was tutoring multiple students from both my year as well as 2nd year on algebra, calculus and discrete mathematics. I would even say my math courses in first 2 years of University in western world was much easier than what I had already studied by grade 12 of back home. I had covered Algebra, Geometry, quite advanced Calculus by grade 12 in South Asia. If these asinine policies continues, you can guarantee that western university students will keep loosing to foreign students like myself. There may even be no longer a point of people immigrating here for higher studies. I have even spent time thinking about whether it might be a wise idea for me to immigrate back to my home country when I have kids because I wouldn't want them having such watered down education.
MikeUt 6y ago
The year was 2021, and everybody was finally equal.
- sqqqqrly 6y ago
  The goal is make Americans equal. Singaporeans will be far ahead. In truth, they already are.
- celias 6y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Bergeron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Bergeron
Google234 6y ago
What’s the chance this story gets flagged? It always seems like the people in favor of forced equality try to hide their actions.
neatze 6y ago
Kids are not robots and learn at different rates in different topics and it is functions of genetics and experience, it is wrong to very large extent to train everyone equally outside basics of reading, arithmetic. Objective of education should be to maximize kids learning opportunities in topics they are interested and display some predisposition from age of 4 and beyond. Standard that one size of 10+ years of education fits all is false. Yes, some kids my have no interests and/or predispositions, it does not mean they failed in any meaningful way, eventually they find something given opportunities (similarly but less strict/competitive education is today) they are passionate about.
- sqqqqrly 6y ago
  True, kids are not robots. One must assume America can live with less American scientists and engineers. As the years pass, fewer and fewer. Who will create the next vaccine technology? Probably won't be an American.
MyHypatia 6y ago
I read the article, and it doesn't sound to me like they are removing math classes in the name of equity. It sounds like they are moving away from having kids only learn Algebra for a year and then only learn geometry for a year. And instead have students learn a variety of mathematical concepts. The article said: "concepts courses wouldn't eliminate algebraic ideas but rather interweave multiple strands of mathematics throughout the courses. Those included data analysis, mathematical modeling, functions and algebra, spatial reasoning and probability." Honestly, that doesn't sound bad to me. It sounds more like how people actually use math in life and in work, rather than forcing kids to all of sudden only care about geometry for an entire year.
- MrMan 6y ago
  I was laying in bed worrying about the serial and periodic nature of math curriculum just this morning. My kids will finish algebra I this year then geometry then algebra II. And still haven't been shown any statistics beyond mean mode median. By the time algebra II Rolla around they will have forgotten a ton of algebra. And after one lump of geometry, they will never have it again
- sqqqqrly 6y ago
  I can only guess you are not in a STEM career. I am an electrical engineer. When I was 14, I did not know I would become one. I use math in my work every day. If Mr. Funacello (Norwood High) has not taught me Algebra I and II (had him twice) back in the day, I would not be an engineer now. Our kids need teachers like him. Some people use science and math beyond your experience in "every day life". These are the people that created the steam engine, Apollo, the Internet and our Covid vaccines. From the school board: "Let me be totally clear, we are talking about taking Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 – those three courses that we've known and loved ... and removing them from our high school mathematics program, replacing them with essential concepts for grade eight, nine, and 10." Fewer of these poor children will be in STEM careers. This is not to belittle whatever it is you do. All occupations are important. If I had it to do over again, I might be a plumber and start a business, skipping the student loan BS.
  - 6y ago
sqqqqrly 6y ago
The only solution is to move one's children into a private school. That if one can afford this. So much for equality of opportunity... "There is a great deal of ruin in a nation" - Adam Smith As each day passes, America has a little bit less left. And no, if you understand the quote, this is a depressing thought.
jfengel 6y ago
Yeah, I also despair. Few people seem to have read the article, and drawn their ideologically-predisposed conclusions from the headline. Which is, of course, the point of the headline, from an ideologically-predisposed news source. What they're actually talking about is this: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/mathematics/vmpi/index.shtml https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/mathematics/vmpi/in... So we've got a thread full of people decrying manipulation... while being massively manipulated in really trivial ways. And instead of talking about how to improve math education, we're talking about BS. Or really not talking, just clutching pearls. If you want to claim that your way of thinking is so much better, demonstrate it, at least a little.
- CheezeIt 6y ago
  A school board member stated, quoting the Facebook comment in the article: “ That being said…as currently planned, this initiative will eliminate ALL math acceleration prior to 11th grade. That is not an exaggeration, nor does there appear to be any discretion in how local districts implement this. All 6th graders will take Foundational Concepts 6. All 7th graders will take Foundational Concepts 7. All 10th graders will take Essential Concepts 10. Only in 11th and 12th grade is there any opportunity for choice in higher math courses.” Does the site you linked refute this? Are you refuting this?
  - jfengel 6y ago
    Yes, the site refutes this. It says not word one about "acceleration". If you're ready to take upper grade math, you take it. This is laying out the primary course. That's because the Facebook post is shitting its pants about the wrong thing. The thing that they're supposed to be shitting their pants about is that they're reorganizing the math in such a way that the regular path allows students to take the main math courses by grade 10, rather than a course focused on getting every single person into calculus (even if it means stopping in a weird place like pre-calculus). So some students can finish their math by grade 10 and stop (and in the process focus on more everyday math rather than STEM-focused math). That's the things that's supposed to be filling their Fruit of the Looms with fecal matter, not banning gifted students from jumping ahead.
sqqqqrly 6y ago
For parents that want to help their kids with STEM, First Robotics (high schools around the world) is amazing. I was a mentor on a team for many years. See https://www.firstinspires.org/ https://www.firstinspires.org/. There are other programs for younger kids. Become a mentor. You do not have be an engineer to help. Support your team.

29 points by CyberRabbi 6y ago

I hope this is stopped. If not, after-school programs like Russian School of Math will see increased enrollment from parents who are not satisfied with public school math. My 3 children attended RSM.

busymom0 6y ago

> During a webinar posted on YouTube in December, a member of the "essential concepts" committee claimed that the new framework would exclude traditional classes like Algebra 1 and Geometry. This is crazy. I grew up in a South Asian country before immigrating for University. Even in my first year in University, I was tutoring multiple students from both my year as well as 2nd year on algebra, calculus and discrete mathematics. I would even say my math courses in first 2 years of University in western world was much easier than what I had already studied by grade 12 of back home. I had covered Algebra, Geometry, quite advanced Calculus by grade 12 in South Asia. If these asinine policies continues, you can guarantee that western university students will keep loosing to foreign students like myself. There may even be no longer a point of people immigrating here for higher studies. I have even spent time thinking about whether it might be a wise idea for me to immigrate back to my home country when I have kids because I wouldn't want them having such watered down education.

MikeUt 6y ago

The year was 2021, and everybody was finally equal.

sqqqqrly 6y ago
The goal is make Americans equal. Singaporeans will be far ahead. In truth, they already are.
celias 6y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Bergeron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Bergeron

Google234 6y ago

What’s the chance this story gets flagged? It always seems like the people in favor of forced equality try to hide their actions.

neatze 6y ago

Kids are not robots and learn at different rates in different topics and it is functions of genetics and experience, it is wrong to very large extent to train everyone equally outside basics of reading, arithmetic. Objective of education should be to maximize kids learning opportunities in topics they are interested and display some predisposition from age of 4 and beyond. Standard that one size of 10+ years of education fits all is false. Yes, some kids my have no interests and/or predispositions, it does not mean they failed in any meaningful way, eventually they find something given opportunities (similarly but less strict/competitive education is today) they are passionate about.

sqqqqrly 6y ago
True, kids are not robots. One must assume America can live with less American scientists and engineers. As the years pass, fewer and fewer. Who will create the next vaccine technology? Probably won't be an American.

MyHypatia 6y ago

I read the article, and it doesn't sound to me like they are removing math classes in the name of equity. It sounds like they are moving away from having kids only learn Algebra for a year and then only learn geometry for a year. And instead have students learn a variety of mathematical concepts. The article said: "concepts courses wouldn't eliminate algebraic ideas but rather interweave multiple strands of mathematics throughout the courses. Those included data analysis, mathematical modeling, functions and algebra, spatial reasoning and probability." Honestly, that doesn't sound bad to me. It sounds more like how people actually use math in life and in work, rather than forcing kids to all of sudden only care about geometry for an entire year.

MrMan 6y ago
I was laying in bed worrying about the serial and periodic nature of math curriculum just this morning. My kids will finish algebra I this year then geometry then algebra II. And still haven't been shown any statistics beyond mean mode median. By the time algebra II Rolla around they will have forgotten a ton of algebra. And after one lump of geometry, they will never have it again
sqqqqrly 6y ago
I can only guess you are not in a STEM career. I am an electrical engineer. When I was 14, I did not know I would become one. I use math in my work every day. If Mr. Funacello (Norwood High) has not taught me Algebra I and II (had him twice) back in the day, I would not be an engineer now. Our kids need teachers like him. Some people use science and math beyond your experience in "every day life". These are the people that created the steam engine, Apollo, the Internet and our Covid vaccines. From the school board: "Let me be totally clear, we are talking about taking Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 – those three courses that we've known and loved ... and removing them from our high school mathematics program, replacing them with essential concepts for grade eight, nine, and 10." Fewer of these poor children will be in STEM careers. This is not to belittle whatever it is you do. All occupations are important. If I had it to do over again, I might be a plumber and start a business, skipping the student loan BS.
- 6y ago

sqqqqrly 6y ago

The only solution is to move one's children into a private school. That if one can afford this. So much for equality of opportunity... "There is a great deal of ruin in a nation" - Adam Smith As each day passes, America has a little bit less left. And no, if you understand the quote, this is a depressing thought.

jfengel 6y ago

Yeah, I also despair. Few people seem to have read the article, and drawn their ideologically-predisposed conclusions from the headline. Which is, of course, the point of the headline, from an ideologically-predisposed news source. What they're actually talking about is this: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/mathematics/vmpi/index.shtml https://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/mathematics/vmpi/in... So we've got a thread full of people decrying manipulation... while being massively manipulated in really trivial ways. And instead of talking about how to improve math education, we're talking about BS. Or really not talking, just clutching pearls. If you want to claim that your way of thinking is so much better, demonstrate it, at least a little.

CheezeIt 6y ago
A school board member stated, quoting the Facebook comment in the article: “ That being said…as currently planned, this initiative will eliminate ALL math acceleration prior to 11th grade. That is not an exaggeration, nor does there appear to be any discretion in how local districts implement this. All 6th graders will take Foundational Concepts 6. All 7th graders will take Foundational Concepts 7. All 10th graders will take Essential Concepts 10. Only in 11th and 12th grade is there any opportunity for choice in higher math courses.” Does the site you linked refute this? Are you refuting this?
- jfengel 6y ago
  Yes, the site refutes this. It says not word one about "acceleration". If you're ready to take upper grade math, you take it. This is laying out the primary course. That's because the Facebook post is shitting its pants about the wrong thing. The thing that they're supposed to be shitting their pants about is that they're reorganizing the math in such a way that the regular path allows students to take the main math courses by grade 10, rather than a course focused on getting every single person into calculus (even if it means stopping in a weird place like pre-calculus). So some students can finish their math by grade 10 and stop (and in the process focus on more everyday math rather than STEM-focused math). That's the things that's supposed to be filling their Fruit of the Looms with fecal matter, not banning gifted students from jumping ahead.

sqqqqrly 6y ago

For parents that want to help their kids with STEM, First Robotics (high schools around the world) is amazing. I was a mentor on a team for many years. See https://www.firstinspires.org/ https://www.firstinspires.org/. There are other programs for younger kids. Become a mentor. You do not have be an engineer to help. Support your team.