Montgomery schools to cut back on early acceleration in math courses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, not all kids can handle double year acceleration. BUT some kids can. I worry about kids like my son who need the math acceleration. ?

Do not worry. Your kid will do fine.
I have heard some poeple say that accelerating math, even though the kid can handle it, is not always in his/her best interest.
If you really do have an amazin kid that is too good to be true, he should get admitted into a private

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, not all kids can handle double year acceleration. BUT some kids can. I worry about kids like my son who need the math acceleration. ?

Do not worry. Your kid will do fine.
I have heard some poeple say that accelerating math, even though the kid can handle it, is not always in his/her best interest.
If you really do have an amazin kid that is too good to be true, he should get admitted into a private

Huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, not all kids can handle double year acceleration. BUT some kids can. I worry about kids like my son who need the math acceleration. ?

Do not worry. Your kid will do fine.
I have heard some poeple say that accelerating math, even though the kid can handle it, is not always in his/her best interest.
If you really do have an amazin kid that is too good to be true, he should get admitted into a private

I'm the OP on the double acceleration. Sorry, but you make no sense. Why should I have to pay private for my child to be taught properly? And why should any child sit bored in a class b/c of his age rather than ability? Somehow DH skipped a grade, went fully public his whole life and managed to get taught -- and gasp -- go to an Ivy League college, no less. I, on the other hand, went private my entire life and don't think the private exclusions and cost are worth it, particularly in elementary school! And I don't buy that the acceleration isn't in my child's best interest given how naturally math comes to him and always has.

DS is currently in public. His TEACHER initiated the double year acceleration b/c he needs it. SHE's the one saying he needs to jump an extra grade next year or he'll be too bored. Knowing how he's been with math his entire life and seeing him work with no effort now, I fully concur. His school has been prepped to give him math 2 years ahead next year (so he'd get 2-3 yrs acceleration). What I don't want is some county curriculum change to put a stop to what his very fine public school has been able to do thus far.

[Anonymous]

OP, the best thing would be to talk to your principal and see how it is going to be phased in at your school. At our school, it is my understanding that it is going to affect the lower grades first and it won't affect the kids in 3-5 for a couple of years. I'm sure there will still be acceleration for the top students, it just might be that what they are learning and when they are learning it might change. You have a very fact specific situation -- the best place to get the info you need is from the people who are most familiar with the new curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Principal positions are political jobs. If the state, and therefore MoCo, is deciding that acceleration needs to be severely limited, then the prinicpal is going to do that. Parents don't fill out performance reviews on educators.

[Anonymous]

Our MPCS stupped two year acceleration accross the baord for this school year. Both of my childrens are repeating last years math. The school was clearly over accelerating before but have now totally gone the other way. Gifted children as usual are ignored. It is of course easier for the teachers to contend with fewer levels... We appealed to the principal but were just blown off. Good Luck OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to poster you are referring to but you would be surprised to learn some kids in the HGC need acceleration too.

Acceleration is standard operating procedure in the HGC. I'm not sure what you mean by "surprised" - obviously those kids are there because they need acceleration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The worst outcome would be if MoCo reduces acceleration, but doesn't add spots in the HCGs and magnets for the kids who really do need acceleration.

The first problem with this outcome is that the Takoma magnet has 6 or 7 applicants for every slot, and many of the kids who are turned away are highly qualified. My kid is in the magnet, but we know other kids who didn't get in who could also do very well there.

A second problem with this outcome (an outcome of pushing everybody to the middle?) is that ambitious MoCo parents will still want their kids to be in "advanced" math as long as "advanced" math exists. In a way you can't blame these parents - as long as there are just 2-3 magnets in MS and HS, you can't blame parents for thinking that their kids' college hopes will be dimmer if they don't compete in this crazy, all-or-nothing race for the "MoCo magnet stamp of approval." But what does this mad rush lead to? Parents pushing kids who aren't ready into accelerated math. And ugly, really ugly, lobbying of teachers, VPs and principals to get kids into advanced math. Also, parents who can't navigate the bureaucracy and do their own lobbying are at a huge disadvantage.

The problem of parents pushing kids into advanced math, when the kids aren't ready, could be helped by a good entrance testing system that is impervious to parental lobbying. Unlike the current one, which is a leaky sieve when it comes to parental lobbying. (I've seen a mom get a school to change the quarterly math placement test for her kid, and parents lobbying the magnet test all the way to Rockville.)

I also think MoCo should be increasing the number of "boutique" programs like Loiederman and others, instead of reducing them and slashing their funding. By limiting the number of MS and HS programs, MoCo itself has created a mad race to get into a few magnets. Why not give kids and families options that are different but also attractive? Don't make it a winner-takes-all race for the magnets -- instead create a lot of programs with appeal and cachet. Well, there's the issue of money. But also some weird priorities in Rockville.

I agree with your points (and I too have a TPMS magnet student), but am compelled to point out that all of the angst about magnets (and comments that qualified kids should be admitted which for the record I also agree with) is specific to the eastern part of MC. Those in the Whitman/Wootman/Churchill etc. districts don't concern themselves with these things because they don't have to contend with mediocre middle and high schools as their alternatives.

None of this makes a whit of difference to you and me, of course.

I'm just sayin'.