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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Third algebra 2 teacher, confirming everything stated above.

I usually spend 2.5 days reviewing factoring (algebra 1 spends weeks on it), give a short quiz, and then move on to the actual factoring applications that are in our curriculum. This year I’ve spent 5 days on it so far this year and kids are still struggling. So many of them didn’t get anything out of virtual (thanks, photomath) and those choices are coming back to haunt them this year.

I added extra days here because this skill is so critical to the rest of the year, but I can’t do it for every unit. Kids are going to have to get help outside class, whether from me, khan academy, or an outside tutor.[/quote]

The vitrual math classesare really going to hit the class of 2026 hard on their SATs and PSAT.

Algebra is the most crucial subject for those tests.

I pulled my kid from fcps and put her in Catholoc for 8th.  They had been going in person since August 2020 and had not switched to computer math.  Everything was pencil to paper.in Algebra I.  Best decision ever.

My kid was so behind for the entire first semester, in spite of testing in the mid 90s on the Iowa the Catholic school used for placement.  It seems that she learned almost nothing from virtual pre Algebra in 2020/21 at her fcps middle school.  The Catholic school kids were miles ahead of her.  It took all year to catch up, but she only had a middle grade in Algebra.

She retook Algebra I online over the summer to raise the grade.  Based on what she learned in Catholic school, she did very well in the condensed summer class and felt much more confident in her math knowledge and skills.

My suggestion would be to drop them down to non honors if theh are struggling, and maybe consider some sort of in person (not online) Algebra supplemental class like at Kumon, that starts from the very basic.

Fundamental algebra skills and knowledge are way too important to miss.

[b]Distance learning sucked.  We are going to reap the consequences for years down the road for most of the kids, but especially those who learned to read and write 2020-2022, those who were middle schoolers learning algebra, and the teens who are dealing with the emotional scars of those 2 wasted years.[/b][/quote]

Honestly, my blood is boiling reading all the messages from teachers saying that kids just have to work harder because they didn't learn the material.  The kids did not learn the material because virtual teaching -- which teachers overwhelmingly wanted for the 20-21 school year -- was terrible for many kids.  [/quote]

Distance learning wasn't ideal for learning but not that bad if kids were actually motivated to learn. Worst case they could go to Khan Academy and teach themselves if they had a bad teacher, since KA is quite good. The real problem as others above have stated, is that many kids blatantly used DL to cheat their way through classes whenever they could. Now it's biting them back hard, esp. in math class. Rest assured, there are students who learned a lot during DL (sadly not a big %), because DL helped them cut through through all the other physical in person school BS, so they could learn a lot more at home on their own during 7 hours of DL. Those were likely the kids whose parents were either engaged or taught them values.[/quote]

What a sanctimonious post.

Teaching your kids values has zero to do with how ineffective distance learning was for the vast majority of kids.[/quote]
Aah, but we disagree! Teaching your kid values has everything to do with how they will deal with an unforeseen situation! After seeing a sampling of math teaching in FCPS high schools, I find that Khan Academy is actually very high quality. So take that idea to its logical conclusion... a high schooler has NO excuse to not attempt to learn, even if they happen to have gotten the worst DL instruction. They can go to KA, in 2022 they can google for numerous other sites that do a fairly decent job explaining the basics. On top of that, YouTube math channels are yet another world. Or goodness forbid... they can go crack open a math book at their local library to try to learn the subject! But of course not, your kids in this generation are so special that they cannot do any of these things and MUST be spoon fed, that is the parent demand!

Seriously, in my time the teachers were also not very effective, they were ok at best. Guess what? When I didn't understand, I went home and read a textbook and attempted to figure it out. Or was very lucky if I found something on the internet (mid to late 90s). And forget about hiring a tutor, I'd be lucky if I got to eat fast food once every few weeks.[/quote]

Fcps does not have math textbooks.

[/quote]

My kid was given a math textbook that first day of Alg 2. I don't think he's used it though. [/quote]

Because we are told not to use them.  The only courses with textbooks are AP classes because those are mandated by the college board.  I have a stack of textbooks to send home with kids when parents ask for them, but I do not/cannot use them for the masses.  They are purely a reference tool, not a teaching too.[/quote]

How unfortunate.

Math classes should be required to use and follow textbooks.[/quote]

I’ve bought my FCPS kids honors textbooks found online and highly recommended but the FCPS algebra thru algebra 2 curriculum was far deeper than these books, rendering them useless. [/quote]
Going deeper into the math itself (like AoPS) or doing more cross-curricular applications involving technology and statistics/regressions?[/quote]

Deeper. multiple times I would suggest one of my kids try it and they would state that the book’s examples and problems were way too easy compared to what they had to do. I checked myself and they were right. It was not helpful. I donated the books. (My friend teaches math at an FCPS and suggested this series but it wasn’t good at all). [/quote]
Not all textbooks are created equal. Most K12 textbooks are boring and insipid. If you want a deep, high quality textbook, you have to do your research upfront. For example, you can rest assured that the AoPS Intermediate Algebra textbook has many, many problems which are more difficult and interesting than what is taught FCPS algebra 2 curriculum. They are also very well explained, showing multiple ways to think about the problem. It's a completely different ballgame from your average watered down textbook. You're still learning the same concepts and ideas, but far more effectively.[/quote]

Do you have a link to the textbook you are praising?[/quote]

You could just google 'aops intermediate algebra', but here ya go:

[url]https://artofproblemsolving.com/store/book/intermediate-algebra[/url][/quote]
DP. AoPS is excellent but challenging. If your student has never done AoPS before, I'd also purchase the Introduction to Algebra textbook. They have great online courses too, but here again, you may want to enroll them in Intro to Algebra B first. AoPS posts their syllabi and pre-tests, post-tests for each course so you can get a better idea where your student is. AoPS is fantastic but a student could get discouraged if they are dropped into the desired course without the rigorous preparation AoPS assumes kids have when entering the course. That said, online AoPS is excellent. If your student does that, it won't really matter what is covered at school.
https://artofproblemsolving.com/store
https://artofproblemsolving.com/school/schedule

A lesser time investment would be to go on Amazon and look for old used Algebra 2 textbooks (pre-2000) that do a good job of laying out content and providing rigorous problem step-up.[/quote]

I love AOPS, but if a student is struggling in Algebra 2 those books may not be the best choice. As PP mentioned, AOPS are best when used as a series in order.[/quote]

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