Why not close the achievement gap from the top down?

[Anonymous]

Fairfax county’s school administrators are actively closing down the AAP math classes.

Instead of advanced math, Fairfax will offer “E3” or e-squared, an equity-based approach where everyone learns together.

[Anonymous]

Let’s just randomize class rank so everyone has an equal chance of being valedictorian

If we still use that word

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just randomize class rank so everyone has an equal chance of being valedictorian

If we still use that word

We don’t use that word anymore PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The type of student that can take calculus in highschool isn't going to be hindered by a requirement to take calculus in college. They type of student who will be hindered by a requirement to take calculus in college isn't going to take calculus in highschool even if it is offered

[Anonymous]

Eliminating honors and AP classes in high school is a good way to further equity.

[Anonymous]

The key is to encourage meeting a minimum standard only. Overachieving kids really throw a wrench in equity efforts, so those kids should probably be discouraged from achieving beyond the standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Sorry, but if you add in early childhood research the pattern is set before age 2.

By age 2 Hispanic children are the same a white in socialization but behind in vocabulary (in home language).

There are initiatives to teach parents patterns of interaction that raise this (serve and return conversations etc)

It is set very very early and the gap is there well before Kindergarten.

Sorry, not sorry. And not convinced by your weak argument.

For decades, pols pushed for more money to be thrown at expensive “head start” programs.

The money’s been spent, but it has not meaningfully changed things. So your premise is faulty.

You are reinforcing his argument- head start doesn't work because things are already set before head start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Educational outcomes are tied to Maternal income. When you bring down women’s pay, you bring down educational outcomes.

You have it backwards. The high maternal income is produced by the same factor that produces the high educational outcome- namely a focus on education in the women, who will then be ensuring the kids are well educated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Agenda is to crush everything. Look at the big picture.

[Anonymous]

I am so confused by the OP. This is what eliminating AP, honors (or "honors for all"), magnet schools, test-optional etc are all doing. This is literally our societywide approach to equity right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just close all the schools and not teach anyone anything. Then we can all raise illiterate children who are equal.

+1 also, lobotomies for smart people!

[Anonymous]

Well I can tell you the top performers at my office really aren't doing anything to help how lopsided raises and promotions are given to them. I'm just saying, if we're going to narrow the achievement gap, they need to do thier part too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so confused by the OP. This is what eliminating AP, honors (or "honors for all"), magnet schools, test-optional etc are all doing. This is literally our societywide approach to equity right now.

Yeah, but also teaching those classes requires resources that we need to spend bringing up the bottom. Smart kids don't need much help really, also my performance is based on how low the bottom is, not on how high the top is

[Anonymous]

I have no problem with race to the bottom because I will still be teaching my kids at home and they will excel. That way they will not have competition to get in professions that value higher education with a high bar to entry. Yes, please make other people's kids dumb. There is always need for some illiterate servants too who can do the dirty work. In history, education was limited to the wealthy. We are doing a disservice to society to educate everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eliminating honors and AP classes in high school is a good way to further equity.

Nah. It’s a good way to chase everyone with any means at all to private school.