Reply to VADOE adjustments to advanced math track

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We have a working tracked system - it needs to be stronger in its selection, and select and track more, rather than less, but overall it's ok.   
What's not ok is the SJW rhetoric, and hopefully this will be toned down and turned down a bit for the next 4 years as FCPS will interact with a VDOE less friendly to its ideology.
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I'd actually argue (and this is something I think VMPI gets totally wrong) is that we currently *have* differentiation, not tracking. Tracking is a practice from decades ago, where you'd be labelled as 'track 1/2/3' and then that would determine your fate for the rest of your K-12 career. No ability to move up or down. VMPI has stated that's what we have today, but I'd argue *they are wrong*. 
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I think the terms are loaded, so it's good to define them.

"tracking" here means to provide the opportunity to take advanced math classes when your child is ready - some children are ready for Algebra-type material in 6th, some in 7th, some in 8th, and a few in 4, 5, or 9th grade.  Once your child takes Algebra, they are on a track to take the follow-up classes that build on it.  Those children who are ready earlier will get farther, naturally.

This is a normal and equitable way of doing this. VDOE attacked this, but fortunately this will be shut down thanks to the democratic vote that let common sense and proven experience prevail.

I'm ok with calling it tracking because of its track-like nature. I wouldn't call it "differentiation" because this word has become synonymous to represent (usually failing) efforts to provide advanced children with appropriate material while maintaining a classroom that includes all children, at least in my experience.

We can quibble over details, but must agree that children differ and this difference must be respected so that everyone is challenged and served according to the abilities they have demonstrated. Teaching children in the same classroom whose skill level differs as widely as we observe in our student population is impossible and attempts at doing so are unethical.

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I thought this was called acceleration, and tracking was putting some kids in an honors version of the same class.[/quote]

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