Why not close the achievement gap from the top down?

[Anonymous]

Our society is already so lopsided as far as the top 1% owning practically everything.

And I’m sorry but no kid needs advanced calculus in high school.

Why not narrow the achievement gap by finding ways to lower the test results for the top performers?

[Anonymous]

If you study the achievement gap, you’ll know that high school isn’t the issue. Neither is calculus. Neither is TJ (although whether we should have public, selective high schools and what their admission process should be is a separate and valid issue). The problem is in the early grades.

Plus nobody believes advanced calculus is the ticket to great wealth.

[Anonymous]

China and Russia aren't going to hold back their best and brightest. If we want to remain globally competitive, neither should we.

Plus, unless you intend to force all kids to attend public schools that will teach everyone the exact same thing, you're just going to encourage wealthier people to put their kids in private school or to homeschool. This will increase the achievement gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our society is already so lopsided as far as the top 1% owning practically everything.

And I’m sorry but no kid needs advanced calculus in high school.

Why not narrow the achievement gap by finding ways to lower the test results for the top performers?

Are you serious??? For a rich nation, the US is already lagging way behind other countries for academic achievement and you want to dumb down education even more than it already is?

Race to the bottom is OP’s solution instead of helping to bring up the bottom in the elementary and early years

[Anonymous]

They're already doing this which is why we're leaving public school, and OP knows it 😂

[Anonymous]

VDOE floated the idea of eliminating math tracking (and then quickly folded against public outcry), so it’s certainly something that some people would like to try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:China and Russia aren't going to hold back their best and brightest. If we want to remain globally competitive, neither should we.

Plus, unless you intend to force all kids to attend public schools that will teach everyone the exact same thing, you're just going to encourage wealthier people to put their kids in private school or to homeschool. This will increase the achievement gap.

I think China already had a similar experiment with its Cultural Revolution. Didn’t work out too well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you study the achievement gap, you’ll know that high school isn’t the issue. Neither is calculus. Neither is TJ (although whether we should have public, selective high schools and what their admission process should be is a separate and valid issue). The problem is in the early grades.

Plus nobody believes advanced calculus is the ticket to great wealth.

Calculus may not be the ticket to great wealth in your opinion but it is a huge stumbling block for people seeking to enter medical school. Having an opportunity to take calculus in high school and then, if necessary, in college is a boon to some students.

[Anonymous]

What do you mean why not? This is exactly what they have been doing going to programs, Limited gifted programs, mainstreaming all kids difficulties And have no differentiation

[Anonymous]

I think they're doing that already. That's the race to the bottom

[Anonymous]

You realize being good at math is largely genetic, right? So the smart kids would still be the smartest, even if you denied them an education in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our society is already so lopsided as far as the top 1% owning practically everything.

And I’m sorry but no kid needs advanced calculus in high school.

Why not narrow the achievement gap by finding ways to lower the test results for the top performers?

WTF OP? What do you think local school systems' been doing? Why do you think the school systems used to be excellent (MCPS/FX) are in the sh*t bucket now?

[Anonymous]

Did you forget the /s, or are you being serious?

[Anonymous]

Taking advanced calc in hs means you can graduate earlier in college or retake it 8n college. For a higher GPA

Also STEM grads make good money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:China and Russia aren't going to hold back their best and brightest. If we want to remain globally competitive, neither should we.

Plus, unless you intend to force all kids to attend public schools that will teach everyone the exact same thing, you're just going to encourage wealthier people to put their kids in private school or to homeschool. This will increase the achievement gap.

Most of the top math students in America are Asian.