How to reinstate accelerated math in LCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s true. There are 75 8th graders taking Geometry at our high farms MS. My current 5th grade will not have that path available to her, even though my 8th grader did.

do you have a source for that claim?

Yeah, my kids Geomtery teacher. She is the only Geometry teacher and teaches 3 sections of 25 each. I then asked the MS guidance department what was the highest math my 5th grader could take and they said Foundations of Algebra. Which is a prerequisite for Pre Algebra. Which is a pre requisite for Algebra. So IF they don’t eliminate any more options, my youngest can take Algebra as an 8th grader. But I will not be surprised if that changes by spring. If you don’t believe me look at the 2021-2022 LCPS program of studies and find the page for middle school math.

I’m not lying. This is real and I’ve been saying it for a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s true. There are 75 8th graders taking Geometry at our high farms MS. My current 5th grade will not have that path available to her, even though my 8th grader did.

do you have a source for that claim?

Yeah, my kids Geomtery teacher. She is the only Geometry teacher and teaches 3 sections of 25 each. I then asked the MS guidance department what was the highest math my 5th grader could take and they said Foundations of Algebra. Which is a prerequisite for Pre Algebra. Which is a pre requisite for Algebra. So IF they don’t eliminate any more options, my youngest can take Algebra as an 8th grader. But I will not be surprised if that changes by spring. If you don’t believe me look at the 2021-2022 LCPS program of studies and find the page for middle school math.

I’m not lying. This is real and I’ve been saying it for a year.

Are you sure that they weren't telling you the path YOUR child could take and not the highest path available?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin is ultimately not going to be able to do much about local school choices nor will he care. He used CRT as bait for suburban white women and it worked but he will otherwise completely ignore education.

This.

Any changes that could be made wouldn't be implemented for years.

Nothing is going to change.

Instead of believing hot talking points, more people should have researched his power to effect these changes and how the changes they want actually come about.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/youngkin-pledged-more-parental-control-of-education-but-changes-face-opposition/2021/11/03/fdc83a1a-3be8-11ec-8ee9-4f14a26749d1_story.html

Give it a read.

To grant parents radically increased say in what or how teachers teach, Youngkin would have to overhaul the structure of American public-school education in Virginia, which is now determined by state standards and elected school boards that represent all residents of a district, not just parents. Moreover, Governor-elect Youngkin will face an uncooperative state Senate, where Democrats still have control.

and

But Jack Schneider, associate professor of education at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, said Youngkin can do very little to increase parental control over school curriculums. The way public education has long functioned in America, he said, is that schools are not directly accountable to parents but are instead governed by democratically elected school boards.

School board members are meant to represent every county resident, whose tax dollars fund the public school system, Schneider said, not just those with children. And the boards have wide latitude to determine what children learn in schools, although they must abide by statewide standards of learning in Virginia.

The only schools he can directly change are the Governor's schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s true. There are 75 8th graders taking Geometry at our high farms MS. My current 5th grade will not have that path available to her, even though my 8th grader did.

do you have a source for that claim?

Yeah, my kids Geomtery teacher. She is the only Geometry teacher and teaches 3 sections of 25 each. I then asked the MS guidance department what was the highest math my 5th grader could take and they said Foundations of Algebra. Which is a prerequisite for Pre Algebra. Which is a pre requisite for Algebra. So IF they don’t eliminate any more options, my youngest can take Algebra as an 8th grader. But I will not be surprised if that changes by spring. If you don’t believe me look at the 2021-2022 LCPS program of studies and find the page for middle school math.

I’m not lying. This is real and I’ve been saying it for a year.

Are you sure that they weren't telling you the path YOUR child could take and not the highest path available?

Yes, I specially asked what was the highest level available. They will no longer offer pre algebra to 6th graders starting next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s true. There are 75 8th graders taking Geometry at our high farms MS. My current 5th grade will not have that path available to her, even though my 8th grader did.

do you have a source for that claim?

Yeah, my kids Geomtery teacher. She is the only Geometry teacher and teaches 3 sections of 25 each. I then asked the MS guidance department what was the highest math my 5th grader could take and they said Foundations of Algebra. Which is a prerequisite for Pre Algebra. Which is a pre requisite for Algebra. So IF they don’t eliminate any more options, my youngest can take Algebra as an 8th grader. But I will not be surprised if that changes by spring. If you don’t believe me look at the 2021-2022 LCPS program of studies and find the page for middle school math.

I’m not lying. This is real and I’ve been saying it for a year.

Are you sure that they weren't telling you the path YOUR child could take and not the highest path available?

Yes, I specially asked what was the highest level available. They will no longer offer pre algebra to 6th graders starting next year.

^^^But please report back if your LCPS MS counselor is saying something different because I would like to know that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin is ultimately not going to be able to do much about local school choices nor will he care. He used CRT as bait for suburban white women and it worked but he will otherwise completely ignore education.

This.

Any changes that could be made wouldn't be implemented for years.

Nothing is going to change.

Instead of believing hot talking points, more people should have researched his power to effect these changes and how the changes they want actually come about.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/youngkin-pledged-more-parental-control-of-education-but-changes-face-opposition/2021/11/03/fdc83a1a-3be8-11ec-8ee9-4f14a26749d1_story.html

Give it a read.

To grant parents radically increased say in what or how teachers teach, Youngkin would have to overhaul the structure of American public-school education in Virginia, which is now determined by state standards and elected school boards that represent all residents of a district, not just parents. Moreover, Governor-elect Youngkin will face an uncooperative state Senate, where Democrats still have control.

and

But Jack Schneider, associate professor of education at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, said Youngkin can do very little to increase parental control over school curriculums. The way public education has long functioned in America, he said, is that schools are not directly accountable to parents but are instead governed by democratically elected school boards.

School board members are meant to represent every county resident, whose tax dollars fund the public school system, Schneider said, not just those with children. And the boards have wide latitude to determine what children learn in schools, although they must abide by statewide standards of learning in Virginia.

The only schools he can directly change are the Governor's schools.

womp womp

[Anonymous]

"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/you...c-8ee9-4f14a26749d1_story.html"

ah, Natasha - reminding me yet again why I dropped my Post subscription after 2 decades. She is a terrible education reporter as she makes no effort to be unbiased. She should have an opinion column not a news column. (I'm a Biden electing, D governor voting, moderate Dem - not a Republican)

"School board members are meant to represent every county resident, whose tax dollars fund the public school system, Schneider said, not just those with children....If parents alone are deciding what happens inside schools,” Schneider said, “what it would mean is unmaking public education and instead having each individual family pursue their own self-interest in a free market.”

Yeah the notion that SB members are there to do something other than represent the families with kids in school is what got us Omeish and Frisch on the board. Those two provided plenty of fodder to people teetering on which way to vote this fall. And the last comment in the quote is ridiculous - parents are looking to actually be heard in the school process rather than treated as people that don't know much and are there to largely rubber stamp what the district wants to do anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/you...c-8ee9-4f14a26749d1_story.html"

ah, Natasha - reminding me yet again why I dropped my Post subscription after 2 decades. She is a terrible education reporter as she makes no effort to be unbiased. She should have an opinion column not a news column. (I'm a Biden electing, D governor voting, moderate Dem - not a Republican)

"School board members are meant to represent every county resident, whose tax dollars fund the public school system, Schneider said, not just those with children....If parents alone are deciding what happens inside schools,” Schneider said, “what it would mean is unmaking public education and instead having each individual family pursue their own self-interest in a free market.”

Yeah the notion that SB members are there to do something other than represent the families with kids in school is what got us Omeish and Frisch on the board. Those two provided plenty of fodder to people teetering on which way to vote this fall. And the last comment in the quote is ridiculous - parents are looking to actually be heard in the school process rather than treated as people that don't know much and are there to largely rubber stamp what the district wants to do anyway.

Fellow FCPS parent (and conservative!) here. I have a childless acquaintance who absolutely does have an interest in the schools - he's fully aware of their budget and wants his not-small amount of property tax dollars spent wisely. Is that not fair? The whole community pays. Legally parents do have very little say over public K-12 education unless you vote in people who give you more say. I can personally wish it were different, but it's not.

You have to convince your community that voting in people responsive to parents matters.