Reply to VA math changes - ways to speak out

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

I don't see how this is helped by removing tracking.  No honors algebra 1 vs algebra 1.  No 6th graders taking prealgebra.  No 7th graders taking prealgebra.  All 6th graders in Math 6(possibly renamed to foundations of algebra for next year).  All 7th graders in Math 7, not even prealgebra, when currently a high percentage in Loudoun County are taking algebra.  I doubt they will be getting any deeper understanding in Math 7, when the teacher is focusing on the weaker students.     [/quote]

Simple.

Developmentally, 6th and 7th graders are not ready for that level of math and don’t truly understand or grasp the concepts. Yes many, many pass the course a lot of them with an “A” but it is watered down to a level they can process. This is leading to the false sense parent like  you  and many, many others have that their child is ready for advanced math classes far before they are ready.

Are their exceptions? Of course, and by their nature exceptions are rare occurrences so kids who are truly ready at those ages are rare. It’s very tough to hear this I know. It’s really not bad for your kid to spend a year focusing on actually understanding math and being bored in class. School is boring. Listening to lectures is boring. Even as adults this happens. So saying “my kid will be bored!” Is just dumb. School isn’t meant to entertainment - duh.

And before you start firing off emails - for god sakes - use critical thinking 🤔

Do you really, truly believe the state decided to make this change solely to piss off parents in NOVA and to deprive only that part of the state of math curriculum? Does that make sense? Do you honestly believe they never, ever asked an educator, one math teacher, anyone else, any professional, before suggesting this change? Have you talked to any math teachers? Or hey how about that math tutor you pay for every week? Instead of screaming about your AAP snowflake, calm down and think. And then maybe research and consider the pros and cons.[/quote]

Where is your evidence the classes are watered down?  SOLs are decided at the state level, and kids who are accelerated are not in their own class, they are taking these classes with kids in higher grades.  In LCPS, the kids who are taking accelerated do better than the on grade level kids.  So if the class is watered down, it is to deal with the kids who are not accelerated, which there would be more of under the new system of no tracking.

And yes, I do think these changes are being made because very few black and Hispanic kids are taking the accelerated math track.  Boston Public Schools stated it explicitly when they canceled some advanced programs.
The VMPI site highlights equity as a concern, and has a reference link to a paper on this.

You are also making way too many assumptions about math tutor and AAP.[/quote]

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