Anonymous wrote:Thoughts on the finance academy offering?

My kid is interested in the bio track, but also interested in this. All I've heard about are the stem pathways. Any raves or caveats for the others?

I think that some of the teachers in the finance academy are weak and so the rigor is low unfortunately. A couple of the teachers should really retire but they stay because at this point in their career they get paid $$$ for minimal effort.

JR offers a lot of AP classes but the teaching is very uneven. I can't imagine kids do very well on the exams without a lot of independent study.

Thoughts on the finance academy offering?

My kid is interested in the bio track, but also interested in this. All I've heard about are the stem pathways. Any raves or caveats for the others?

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This indeed is a change and if fully implemented would not only make it even harder to get classes at the school for the growing population, but be a disservice to the kids with an interest in that area. Knowing engineering CS and Advanced math, all three areas Ds was able to really explained at JR, has put him miles ahead of his peers in his engineering college, a top one. Without all of that, he likes would not have been a competitive candidate.

What advanced math at JR? Do you mean AP Calculus BC? That is the highest math offered at JR. Many private schools and MCPS/FCPS and even Walls offer 1-2 levels higher math than JR (multi variable calculus and linear algebra).
AP Calculus BC is standard HS math at this point

JRHS also offers AP Statistics (more important that AP Calculus BC in my opinion) and then students can take university courses. Walls offers the same. Multi variable calc and linear algebra would be courses outside of the school.

AP Stats is a relatively easy class. Much easier than AP Calculus BC.
And Walls actually offers Multivariable Calculus at the school. You don’t have to take it at GW or anywhere else

Thank you for clarifying. Multivariable is not listed on the Walls website, so from looking at websites the offerings at JR and Walls are the same. At JR you have access to multivariable and linear algebra through Dual enrollment, however there are multiple sections of calc BC, and you can take it from 10-12th depending on when you are ready, so I am sure MV would be a welcome addition to the curriculum if they would add it.

My daughter is a senior at Walls. She is taking AP Calculus BC this year. But she told me that some of her friends at Walls are taking multi variable calculus as seniors. I assumed she meant at GW but she insists it is at Walls with a Walls teacher. Perhaps they don’t offer it every year. She could also be wrong but she seemed very certain that it is an option at Walls and it is not a dual enrollment class. If your student might be interested, you could always email the head of the math department and ask

Anonymous wrote:Do freshman take more than 1 math course? Can they? What is the usual course offering at the feeder school?

Students take one math course at J-R in 9th. At Deal students come in at all levels and entering 9th in any class from pre-calc to algebra 1. Other levels at JR for 9th are algebra 2 and geometry.

After pre calc, you can go to calc AB (roughly one semester of college calc), calc BC (2 semesters of college calc), and AP statistics

Do freshman take more than 1 math course? Can they? What is the usual course offering at the feeder school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This indeed is a change and if fully implemented would not only make it even harder to get classes at the school for the growing population, but be a disservice to the kids with an interest in that area. Knowing engineering CS and Advanced math, all three areas Ds was able to really explained at JR, has put him miles ahead of his peers in his engineering college, a top one. Without all of that, he likes would not have been a competitive candidate.

What advanced math at JR? Do you mean AP Calculus BC? That is the highest math offered at JR. Many private schools and MCPS/FCPS and even Walls offer 1-2 levels higher math than JR (multi variable calculus and linear algebra).
AP Calculus BC is standard HS math at this point

JRHS also offers AP Statistics (more important that AP Calculus BC in my opinion) and then students can take university courses. Walls offers the same. Multi variable calc and linear algebra would be courses outside of the school.

AP Stats is a relatively easy class. Much easier than AP Calculus BC.
And Walls actually offers Multivariable Calculus at the school. You don’t have to take it at GW or anywhere else

Thank you for clarifying. Multivariable is not listed on the Walls website, so from looking at websites the offerings at JR and Walls are the same. At JR you have access to multivariable and linear algebra through Dual enrollment, however there are multiple sections of calc BC, and you can take it from 10-12th depending on when you are ready, so I am sure MV would be a welcome addition to the curriculum if they would add it.

OP here who posted about deepening math with Kumon and Russian math. When I was little, doing a little math 3 - 4 a week to practice and solidify was not burn-out, it was part of HW. But math HW (with all HW, it seems) has disappeared. My current 4th grader did Kumon all of 2022. A little bit of math (10 mins) every day, to nail her tables. It massively boosted her confidence, and now she loves math and can focus on concepts, not on basic arithmetic. Highly recommend the Kumon off River Road -- can also get your shopping done Current 7th grader did some Kumon first semester of 7th grade - got much more comfortable with fractions, looking for greatest common multiple and least common factor for double digit and triple digit numbers -- very key to feeling comfortable in math. Both now are in Russian Math (on Connecticut) solidifying concepts, getting more comfortable with math, learning importance of precision, and dealing more with word problems to get more comfortable with abstracting, not just literally following rules and arithmetic.

I share my experience, to the extent helpful, because I don't understand who spends time trolling DCUMS to just make broadside negative comments for no reason.

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:PP who is a teacher. Thank you for your comment.

OP here. I have a 4th grader in an elementary that feeds into Deal/Jackson Reed, and a 7th grader at Deal who went to a the same feeder elementary. Both are middling students. What I'm finding is that by grouping all the kids together, the school system is not structured / systematized to address the kids needs. Further, there's nothing for the kids to reach for. I want my 7th grader to see, "that is what you need to do to be in honors," and to have something to work for. He has nothing like that now. He thinks he's "fine," and most of the kids and parents have the same attitude. So it's hard to be the lone voice to ask my child to do more than what the school requries for a A / B. For math, we've been able to find outside vendors (eg, Kumon, Russian Math) to do more than DCPS is requiring and really deepen and solidify his understanding. But, it's harder for the other subjects.

This seems like a recipe for burnout. It seems like a great way to have your kid hate school and scoff at learning. But to each their own.

Yes, the way to get kids to “love learning” is to fail to provide them with structure and challenge.

Such a weird point of view but I accept that it is the reigning one for many DCPS parents. Middle school is an extension of preschool, where the goal is to keep kids happy and “loving to learn” as opposed to actually teaching them things or making them work a little.

Transplant_1 wrote:PP who is a teacher. Thank you for your comment.

OP here. I have a 4th grader in an elementary that feeds into Deal/Jackson Reed, and a 7th grader at Deal who went to a the same feeder elementary. Both are middling students. What I'm finding is that by grouping all the kids together, the school system is not structured / systematized to address the kids needs. Further, there's nothing for the kids to reach for. I want my 7th grader to see, "that is what you need to do to be in honors," and to have something to work for. He has nothing like that now. He thinks he's "fine," and most of the kids and parents have the same attitude. So it's hard to be the lone voice to ask my child to do more than what the school requries for a A / B. For math, we've been able to find outside vendors (eg, Kumon, Russian Math) to do more than DCPS is requiring and really deepen and solidify his understanding. But, it's harder for the other subjects.

This seems like a recipe for burnout. It seems like a great way to have your kid hate school and scoff at learning. But to each their own.