Question for freshman currently in Honors Algebra 2

[Anonymous]

It went okay first quarter but then it became difficult really challenging for my child. I looked into dropping into regular alg II but was told we had to wait until second semester.
Now we use a tutor and it’s going well. But next year will be regular pre-calc, not doing honors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child had the opportunity to take Algebra 1 as a 6th grader after the Covid lockdown, and jumped on it. She watched Khan Academy videos to solidify her knowledge and seems to be doing appropriately challenged now in Geometry - she's making straight As but has to work at it. I imagine it will be the same in 8th for Honors Algebra 2.

So yes, get a tutor, or work from home. Math builds on itself so the effort is worth it.

This sounds like a mistake. Good luck w that later. Kids that are truly advanced in math don’t need tutors.

Mcps has no textbooks, little homework or class work for reinforcing the material. Smart kids can do well with tutors to strengthen their knowledge.

Agree with this. My kid is great at Math, but the MCPS curriculum stinks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think your child was ready? With Covid hitting and math going pretty slow in middle school, was your child prepared? Honors Geometry seems pretty simple but my DD struggled a bit with Algebra 1. Still getting A’s in Geometry and ended up with a high B in Honors Algebra 1. But it was first year back from Covid.

Did you do anything prior to the class or change levels? Or is everything going ok.

DC finds it incredibly not challenging, and wishes that these classes move to the faster pace .

That is rare since he took Algebra online. Honors Algebra 2 is a breeze? I have not heard that from anyone

They're capable of teaching themselves from the many wonderful online resources and we're well past algebra when they were taking it.

So, if they all teach themselves why send them to school?

Lots of us are wondering that. I’d like some of my tax money back since MCPS’ own stats show that the majority of students at my child’s school are not proficient in Math.

We have had teachers who say to supplement with Khan Academy, or people on here are saying to get tutors. Clearly most kids are not learning what they should be learning AT school.

[Anonymous]

I keep hearing about more and more current 9th graders struggling in Alg 2 and AP history and needing tutors. Much better choice to put your kid on a slower track so they can stay in honors. Need to break the stigma that all the kids need to be in the hardest classes. That does not work out for many kids down the road in HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I keep hearing about more and more current 9th graders struggling in Alg 2 and AP history and needing tutors. Much better choice to put your kid on a slower track so they can stay in honors. Need to break the stigma that all the kids need to be in the hardest classes. That does not work out for many kids down the road in HS.

I agree. But MCPS pushes kids into AP classes - our HS really pushes kids into APUSH in 9th grade and plenty of them should not be in that class. And the last few years, MCPS Math in MS has been quite bad. But it’s very rare for MCPS to keep a kid back or force them to re-take a class. So, even kids who barely understand Geometry get pushed forward into Algebra 2, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I keep hearing about more and more current 9th graders struggling in Alg 2 and AP history and needing tutors. Much better choice to put your kid on a slower track so they can stay in honors. Need to break the stigma that all the kids need to be in the hardest classes. That does not work out for many kids down the road in HS.

As a parent with a child in algebra 2, for us it’s the teaching style and lack of resources like textbooks. Kids also use calculator and forget basic skills like long division as there is no reviewing of previous math. We use the free tutors. Not every kid is a math kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think your child was ready? With Covid hitting and math going pretty slow in middle school, was your child prepared? Honors Geometry seems pretty simple but my DD struggled a bit with Algebra 1. Still getting A’s in Geometry and ended up with a high B in Honors Algebra 1. But it was first year back from Covid.

Did you do anything prior to the class or change levels? Or is everything going ok.

DC finds it incredibly not challenging, and wishes that these classes move to the faster pace .

That is rare since he took Algebra online. Honors Algebra 2 is a breeze? I have not heard that from anyone

They're capable of teaching themselves from the many wonderful online resources and we're well past algebra when they were taking it.

So, if they all teach themselves why send them to school?

Lots of us are wondering that. I’d like some of my tax money back since MCPS’ own stats show that the majority of students at my child’s school are not proficient in Math.

We have had teachers who say to supplement with Khan Academy, or people on here are saying to get tutors. Clearly most kids are not learning what they should be learning AT school.

Mine partly learns from school but we do use the tutoring services. The new system of teaching and no textbooks clearly is not working. My kid has has one English book to read all year.

[Anonymous]

My kid's teacher uses these print out packets. I am talking 20+ pages and then they work on like 5-7 random pages and never finish the rest. Go onto a new packet.

I just don't understand how that is more environmentally friendly than textbooks or guidebooks.

We are talking hundreds of print outs a year, every single year, for each class. Maybe 5 classes a teacher?

It's insane

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child had the opportunity to take Algebra 1 as a 6th grader after the Covid lockdown, and jumped on it. She watched Khan Academy videos to solidify her knowledge and seems to be doing appropriately challenged now in Geometry - she's making straight As but has to work at it. I imagine it will be the same in 8th for Honors Algebra 2.

So yes, get a tutor, or work from home. Math builds on itself so the effort is worth it.

This sounds like a mistake. Good luck w that later. Kids that are truly advanced in math don’t need tutors.

Mcps has no textbooks, little homework or class work for reinforcing the material. Smart kids can do well with tutors to strengthen their knowledge.

Agree with this. My kid is great at Math, but the MCPS curriculum stinks.

I have to disagree. My kid learned so much from MCPS and even had math books before the SMCS magnet. I don't care about the books. I mean, that's a dated notion anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child had the opportunity to take Algebra 1 as a 6th grader after the Covid lockdown, and jumped on it. She watched Khan Academy videos to solidify her knowledge and seems to be doing appropriately challenged now in Geometry - she's making straight As but has to work at it. I imagine it will be the same in 8th for Honors Algebra 2.

So yes, get a tutor, or work from home. Math builds on itself so the effort is worth it.

This sounds like a mistake. Good luck w that later. Kids that are truly advanced in math don’t need tutors.

Mcps has no textbooks, little homework or class work for reinforcing the material. Smart kids can do well with tutors to strengthen their knowledge.

Agree with this. My kid is great at Math, but the MCPS curriculum stinks.

I have to disagree. My kid learned so much from MCPS and even had math books before the SMCS magnet. I don't care about the books. I mean, that's a dated notion anyway.

Yea for your kid but many of our get excluded from magnet and the math is weak. We never had books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child had the opportunity to take Algebra 1 as a 6th grader after the Covid lockdown, and jumped on it. She watched Khan Academy videos to solidify her knowledge and seems to be doing appropriately challenged now in Geometry - she's making straight As but has to work at it. I imagine it will be the same in 8th for Honors Algebra 2.

So yes, get a tutor, or work from home. Math builds on itself so the effort is worth it.

This sounds like a mistake. Good luck w that later. Kids that are truly advanced in math don’t need tutors.

Mcps has no textbooks, little homework or class work for reinforcing the material. Smart kids can do well with tutors to strengthen their knowledge.

Agree with this. My kid is great at Math, but the MCPS curriculum stinks.

I have to disagree. My kid learned so much from MCPS and even had math books before the SMCS magnet. I don't care about the books. I mean, that's a dated notion anyway.

Yea for your kid but many of our get excluded from magnet and the math is weak. We never had books.

My ES kid has Eureka math books. I even bought copies of what they use at school for home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem here is that there is no great solution at this juncture for dropping down. If geometry is easy, no need to repeat and it won’t help shore up the algebra skills. Dropping go on level algebra 2 when a freshman (so in advanced track) also not ideal. Might be bored and will hurt when comes time to apply to college. I would have your kid take algebra 2 honors next year and have them do an algebra review course over the summer or do some algebra review on Kahn academy.

MCPS offered free tutoring.

Is the free tutoring a available over the summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child had the opportunity to take Algebra 1 as a 6th grader after the Covid lockdown, and jumped on it. She watched Khan Academy videos to solidify her knowledge and seems to be doing appropriately challenged now in Geometry - she's making straight As but has to work at it. I imagine it will be the same in 8th for Honors Algebra 2.

So yes, get a tutor, or work from home. Math builds on itself so the effort is worth it.

This sounds like a mistake. Good luck w that later. Kids that are truly advanced in math don’t need tutors.

Mcps has no textbooks, little homework or class work for reinforcing the material. Smart kids can do well with tutors to strengthen their knowledge.

Agree with this. My kid is great at Math, but the MCPS curriculum stinks.

I have to disagree. My kid learned so much from MCPS and even had math books before the SMCS magnet. I don't care about the books. I mean, that's a dated notion anyway.

There is no Eureka math for MS/HS level classes starting with Algebra. So, your kids aren't taking Algebra 2.
Yea for your kid but many of our get excluded from magnet and the math is weak. We never had books.

My ES kid has Eureka math books. I even bought copies of what they use at school for home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem here is that there is no great solution at this juncture for dropping down. If geometry is easy, no need to repeat and it won’t help shore up the algebra skills. Dropping go on level algebra 2 when a freshman (so in advanced track) also not ideal. Might be bored and will hurt when comes time to apply to college. I would have your kid take algebra 2 honors next year and have them do an algebra review course over the summer or do some algebra review on Kahn academy.

MCPS offered free tutoring.

Is the free tutoring a available over the summer?

They haven't announced it yet but they offered it last summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child had the opportunity to take Algebra 1 as a 6th grader after the Covid lockdown, and jumped on it. She watched Khan Academy videos to solidify her knowledge and seems to be doing appropriately challenged now in Geometry - she's making straight As but has to work at it. I imagine it will be the same in 8th for Honors Algebra 2.

So yes, get a tutor, or work from home. Math builds on itself so the effort is worth it.

This sounds like a mistake. Good luck w that later. Kids that are truly advanced in math don’t need tutors.

Mcps has no textbooks, little homework or class work for reinforcing the material. Smart kids can do well with tutors to strengthen their knowledge.

Agree with this. My kid is great at Math, but the MCPS curriculum stinks.

I have to disagree. My kid learned so much from MCPS and even had math books before the SMCS magnet. I don't care about the books. I mean, that's a dated notion anyway.

There is no Eureka math for MS/HS level classes starting with Algebra. So, your kids aren't taking Algebra 2.
Yea for your kid but many of our get excluded from magnet and the math is weak. We never had books.

My ES kid has Eureka math books. I even bought copies of what they use at school for home.

You realize we are talking about MS/HS class as kids are in Algebra 2 - so that is an 8/9/10th grade class.