Reply to Do Holton, NCS, Maret, Sidwell, Potomac, etc. offer pre-algebra in 6th grade?

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Reply to "Do Holton, NCS, Maret, Sidwell, Potomac, etc. offer pre-algebra in 6th grade?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Really? Really? Chances are your children being 'accelerated' in public schools have huge holes in what they are learning. After all, they all have to take the NCLB tests in whatever state. Fact of the matter, if your kid is taking 8th grade math in 5th grade, they take a placement test for independent school math, and they end up being right where they should be for 6th grade math--accelerating that fast for kids so young is a joke and a ploy for public school parents/kids to feel like they are advanced. [/quote]

Alas, I concede, you are absolutely correct in your assessment.  All the math kids (most accelerated in the elementary programs) at middle school math and science public magnets and later high school magnets (e.g. TJ and Blair magnet) have gaping holes in their math background even though 30 to 40 percent of them every year are the National Merit Semi-Finalist and Finalists for the State and the highest AP scholars in the State.  You have uncovered the greatest joke and ploy with math acceleration and education of these young kids who later funnel into magnet programs at the middle and high school levels.  They are full of gaping holes in their math foundation and most would have been held back in our beloved private schools because private school math education is so far advanced, particularly when compared to Takoma Park Middle and Blair High school magnets, TJ and the like.

I never really considered your reasoning.  I appreciate the insight.[/quote]

You're more than welcome.  I'm glad that the super accelerated math kids that you know are so wildly successful.  I'm sure that also includes their ability to actually speak with other kids their age and not be total outcasts.  It isn't just about hyper speed in 'learning' math.  Kids can be accelerated, while at the same time, oh, i don't know, actually learning how to communicate with other children instead of churn out math answers.  Imagine, knowing math, and being socially aware, creative, able to creatively construct a paper, have friends, smile.  Yeah, fact of the matter is that no matter what public school you are in, you are still bound by the standardized tests, and you will be taught to a test, you won't have anywhere near the resources, no matter how much you try to talk yourself into thinking that accelerating children into hyper drive math 'achievement' is what should be done, it isn't.  I'm wondering how many of your 40 percent of students in Finalist stages of national merit scholarships can have a conversation about anything other than their parents forcing them into advanced placement classes.[/quote]

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