Low income kid scores perfect on AP Calc test-great story of the day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All from his own hard work...

"Cedrick, the son of a Salvadoran maintenance worker and a Filipina nurse, had scored perfectly on his Advanced Placement Calculus exam. Of the 302,531 students to take the notoriously mind-crushing test, he was one of only 12 to earn every single point....from Lincoln High, a school of about 1,200 students in the heavily Latino Lincoln Heights neighborhood."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-calculus-wiz-20160127-story.html

Congratulations to this kid on his achievement. However, op, it is always from the kids own hard work. No one can do the studying or the learning for any child who achieves without regard to income level. If you don't put forth the effort, you will not succeed. I say this as someone who has lived on both sides of the income spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All from his own hard work...

"Cedrick, the son of a Salvadoran maintenance worker and a Filipina nurse, had scored perfectly on his Advanced Placement Calculus exam. Of the 302,531 students to take the notoriously mind-crushing test, he was one of only 12 to earn every single point....from Lincoln High, a school of about 1,200 students in the heavily Latino Lincoln Heights neighborhood."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-calculus-wiz-20160127-story.html

Congratulations to this kid on his achievement. However, op, it is always from the kids own hard work. No one can do the studying or the learning for any child who achieves without regard to income level. If you don't put forth the effort, you will not succeed. I say this as someone who has lived on both sides of the income spectrum.

Except that some people start from at bat, and some people start from third base.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All from his own hard work...

"Cedrick, the son of a Salvadoran maintenance worker and a Filipina nurse, had scored perfectly on his Advanced Placement Calculus exam. Of the 302,531 students to take the notoriously mind-crushing test, he was one of only 12 to earn every single point....from Lincoln High, a school of about 1,200 students in the heavily Latino Lincoln Heights neighborhood."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-calculus-wiz-20160127-story.html

Congratulations to this kid on his achievement. However, op, it is always from the kids own hard work. No one can do the studying or the learning for any child who achieves without regard to income level. If you don't put forth the effort, you will not succeed. I say this as someone who has lived on both sides of the income spectrum.

OP here. Yes, all kids who achieve do work hard. However, let's not pretend that those with means can afford the enrichment, after school tutoring, educated parents that help, typically go to a high achieving school, etc.... This kid had after tutoring in a sense that his math teacher stayed and helped *all* the kids, but his parents weren't educated, the school he goes to is rated only a 6 with an 85% FARMS rate (and in dcum land this school would be considered horrible), and I"m guessing he is from a low SES family given what his parents do for a living.

It's extraordinary when kids can achieve these kinds of feats, but even more so when they come from disadvantaged backgrounds...not because they are not smart, but because the odds are so stacked against them when compared to those kids with means.

I also say this as someone who has lived on both sides of the income gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All from his own hard work...

"Cedrick, the son of a Salvadoran maintenance worker and a Filipina nurse, had scored perfectly on his Advanced Placement Calculus exam. Of the 302,531 students to take the notoriously mind-crushing test, he was one of only 12 to earn every single point....from Lincoln High, a school of about 1,200 students in the heavily Latino Lincoln Heights neighborhood."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-calculus-wiz-20160127-story.html

Congratulations to this kid on his achievement. However, op, it is always from the kids own hard work. No one can do the studying or the learning for any child who achieves without regard to income level. If you don't put forth the effort, you will not succeed. I say this as someone who has lived on both sides of the income spectrum.

OP here. Yes, all kids who achieve do work hard. However, let's not pretend that those with means can afford the enrichment, after school tutoring, educated parents that help, typically go to a high achieving school, etc.... This kid had after tutoring in a sense that his math teacher stayed and helped *all* the kids, but his parents weren't educated, the school he goes to is rated only a 6 with an 85% FARMS rate (and in dcum land this school would be considered horrible), and I"m guessing he is from a low SES family given what his parents do for a living.

It's extraordinary when kids can achieve these kinds of feats, but even more so when they come from disadvantaged backgrounds...not because they are not smart, but because the odds are so stacked against them when compared to those kids with means.

I also say this as someone who has lived on both sides of the income gap.

NP. What I thought was interesting is that the teacher inspired the kids to take math as seriously as a sport. In this country, we don't bat an eye at kids in sports practices for 2-3 hours every day, but we don't encourage this type of hard work in academics, particularly in STEM subjects - not at such a grueling pace anyway. But the truth is, that's what is sometimes required to master the concepts, and the kids who put in this type of hard work are the ones who will succeed in engineering, physics, computer science, analytics, etc. - with a far better chance of having a good career than anyone focused on athletics.

[Anonymous]

Didn't they make a movie in the 80's about this exact thing?

Stand and Deliver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All from his own hard work...

"Cedrick, the son of a Salvadoran maintenance worker and a Filipina nurse, had scored perfectly on his Advanced Placement Calculus exam. Of the 302,531 students to take the notoriously mind-crushing test, he was one of only 12 to earn every single point....from Lincoln High, a school of about 1,200 students in the heavily Latino Lincoln Heights neighborhood."

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-calculus-wiz-20160127-story.html

Congratulations to this kid on his achievement. However, op, it is always from the kids own hard work. No one can do the studying or the learning for any child who achieves without regard to income level. If you don't put forth the effort, you will not succeed. I say this as someone who has lived on both sides of the income spectrum.

OP here. Yes, all kids who achieve do work hard. However, let's not pretend that those with means can afford the enrichment, after school tutoring, educated parents that help, typically go to a high achieving school, etc.... This kid had after tutoring in a sense that his math teacher stayed and helped *all* the kids, but his parents weren't educated, the school he goes to is rated only a 6 with an 85% FARMS rate (and in dcum land this school would be considered horrible), and I"m guessing he is from a low SES family given what his parents do for a living.

It's extraordinary when kids can achieve these kinds of feats, but even more so when they come from disadvantaged backgrounds...not because they are not smart, but because the odds are so stacked against them when compared to those kids with means.

I also say this as someone who has lived on both sides of the income gap.

NP. What I thought was interesting is that the teacher inspired the kids to take math as seriously as a sport. In this country, we don't bat an eye at kids in sports practices for 2-3 hours every day, but we don't encourage this type of hard work in academics, particularly in STEM subjects - not at such a grueling pace anyway. But the truth is, that's what is sometimes required to master the concepts, and the kids who put in this type of hard work are the ones who will succeed in engineering, physics, computer science, analytics, etc. - with a far better chance of having a good career than anyone focused on athletics.

Amen. Every time education experts say the students are too stressed they lower the academic demand. Then the kids go to college and are not prepared. To be good at math needs work for most kids. There is a reason why American kids are behind internationally.

[Anonymous]

Asians, you're lucky they can help

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:His teacher is amazing too. Helping his Calculus class study for hours after school. Buying them shirts with all their names printed on every shirt to wear to the AP test just like a sports team, but a math team.

Yes! America could be great again if many more teachers were like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His teacher is amazing too. Helping his Calculus class study for hours after school. Buying them shirts with all their names printed on every shirt to wear to the AP test just like a sports team, but a math team.

Yes! America could be great again if many more teachers were like this.

Low income public schools devote the vast majority of their resources to the worst performing students. Class size in remedial classes or special education classes are often really low while the honors classes are packed. Teachers are spending time going to countless IEP meetings after school for special education students who get a meeting at least once a year with their special education teacher, general education teacher, and administrator. Last week I spent 4 hours after school in IEP meetings for two students (each meeting was 2 hours). I could have tutored 5 honors students each hour- so 20 poor, hardworking honors students. Their families don't have the money to pay for tutors. I also have to attend countless meetings to discuss how to get the students who don't want to come to school to attend school. Meanwhile the highest performing students at my school get ignored. They are going to have to compete with students in affluent areas whose parents can pay for tutors.
The lowest performing students need to be educated too but too many of our education dollars are going to this population instead of our brightest and poorest kids who, if given a chance, can shine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His teacher is amazing too. Helping his Calculus class study for hours after school. Buying them shirts with all their names printed on every shirt to wear to the AP test just like a sports team, but a math team.

Yes! America could be great again if many more teachers were like this.

Low income public schools devote the vast majority of their resources to the worst performing students. Class size in remedial classes or special education classes are often really low while the honors classes are packed. Teachers are spending time going to countless IEP meetings after school for special education students who get a meeting at least once a year with their special education teacher, general education teacher, and administrator. Last week I spent 4 hours after school in IEP meetings for two students (each meeting was 2 hours). I could have tutored 5 honors students each hour- so 20 poor, hardworking honors students. Their families don't have the money to pay for tutors. I also have to attend countless meetings to discuss how to get the students who don't want to come to school to attend school. Meanwhile the highest performing students at my school get ignored. They are going to have to compete with students in affluent areas whose parents can pay for tutors.
The lowest performing students need to be educated too but too many of our education dollars are going to this population instead of our brightest and poorest kids who, if given a chance, can shine.

You're pretty harsh on special education students. Each special ed student gets one meeting a year? Your post makes me wonder why so little, not why so much. We're talking about students with disabilities that need extra help. This man met afterschool with his students daily. To me it's a bit much for any teacher to do, but it sounds to me as if he would have spent way more than 2 extra hours on a student with an IEP.

As for the other meetings, I'm not sure what your role is in getting kids to school that you need to have so many meetings. This seems like something for a principal and administration to handle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asians, you're lucky they can help

Hispanics too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His teacher is amazing too. Helping his Calculus class study for hours after school. Buying them shirts with all their names printed on every shirt to wear to the AP test just like a sports team, but a math team.

Yes! America could be great again if many more teachers were like this.

I can't because I need to head to Job #2 to pay all of my bills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His teacher is amazing too. Helping his Calculus class study for hours after school. Buying them shirts with all their names printed on every shirt to wear to the AP test just like a sports team, but a math team.

Yes! America could be great again if many more teachers were like this.

Low income public schools devote the vast majority of their resources to the worst performing students. Class size in remedial classes or special education classes are often really low while the honors classes are packed. Teachers are spending time going to countless IEP meetings after school for special education students who get a meeting at least once a year with their special education teacher, general education teacher, and administrator. Last week I spent 4 hours after school in IEP meetings for two students (each meeting was 2 hours). I could have tutored 5 honors students each hour- so 20 poor, hardworking honors students. Their families don't have the money to pay for tutors. I also have to attend countless meetings to discuss how to get the students who don't want to come to school to attend school. Meanwhile the highest performing students at my school get ignored. They are going to have to compete with students in affluent areas whose parents can pay for tutors.
The lowest performing students need to be educated too but too many of our education dollars are going to this population instead of our brightest and poorest kids who, if given a chance, can shine.

If you read the article, you would see that the school that this kid goes to is a low income school. I don't know if that math teacher spends time in IEP meetings, but he certainly stays after school for hours helping the kids with math.

I know doing so is going above and beyond. And I think teachers like this really have a passion for teaching and for the kids. That's obviously why they stay after school. If I were a teacher, and was constantly demoralized, berated, had to deal with crap parents all the time, I probably would lose my passion for teaching, too. So, I'm really grateful for those wonderful teachers that continue to teach my kids despite all the crap they have to deal with because I certainly couldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

The best part of this story for me was his peers cheering in the auditorium. If being smart is cool, if academic achievement is cool, it will start making a big difference in inner city schools.

[Anonymous]

Followup to the article, LA Times did a piece on the teacher.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0103-lopez-yom-teacher-20160201-column.html

The teacher also comes from a pretty humble background and had some tough rookie years as a teacher in that school. I admire that he stuck it out.