Anonymous
09/24/2025 09:22
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Poor teachers - dealing with kids who can’t really do math now in an Algebra class. Totally ridiculous. Some of these kids will just retake algebra in 7th anyway because you know this year isn’t going to go well for them. Absolutely no one will go straight to Geometry in 7th after this mess.
HS teacher here. I don’t know about Alg in 6th because that’s really young and should be rare. But most who take Algebra before they are ready and master it just move on anyway. They get through Geometry and hit the wall in Algebra 2. Parents are angry, demand meeting after meeting about the horrible teacher with strict grading but it’s really because their child doesn’t have a solid and strong foundation.
Many of us were discussing in our math department meeting yesterday how we have students with the weakest algebra foundations ever in our classes this year. Algebra 1 is the most important HS class your kid will take. Do not rush through it. It is the foundation for everything else. It doesn’t matter if that happened in 6th grade or 9th grade.
💯. No need to rush the foundation and the cracks show up later in my experience. FCPS was irresponsible in rolling this out. Kids taking algebra without ever having taken pre algebra is WILD. Moreover this cohort of kids are generally behind on math and reading compared to years prior to Covid. Disaster waiting to happen.
Anonymous
09/24/2025 08:47
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Poor teachers - dealing with kids who can’t really do math now in an Algebra class. Totally ridiculous. Some of these kids will just retake algebra in 7th anyway because you know this year isn’t going to go well for them. Absolutely no one will go straight to Geometry in 7th after this mess.
HS teacher here. I don’t know about Alg in 6th because that’s really young and should be rare. But most who take Algebra before they are ready and master it just move on anyway. They get through Geometry and hit the wall in Algebra 2. Parents are angry, demand meeting after meeting about the horrible teacher with strict grading but it’s really because their child doesn’t have a solid and strong foundation.
Many of us were discussing in our math department meeting yesterday how we have students with the weakest algebra foundations ever in our classes this year. Algebra 1 is the most important HS class your kid will take. Do not rush through it. It is the foundation for everything else. It doesn’t matter if that happened in 6th grade or 9th grade.
I think the push is coming more from the superintendent’s office than from the parents.
It is coming from both. Honestly, I wanted an option for A1H in 6th grade for my kid a few years back, but our ES did not do that and it would have been a fight to try and make it happen. We decided that he was better at his ES and not doing the class virtually. Had he had the chance to take it at his ES, he would have taken it. He was ready for it. It was frustrating that there were 10 or so schools that regularly had students taking A1H while the rest of the County did not have the same option.
That does not mean that this massive expansion is a great idea or that it has been well handled. There is a balance to be reached where you can meet the needs of the kids who are legitimatly ready and not give into the pressure from parents who think that their kid has to be in the most advanced group.
Anonymous
09/24/2025 07:44
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Poor teachers - dealing with kids who can’t really do math now in an Algebra class. Totally ridiculous. Some of these kids will just retake algebra in 7th anyway because you know this year isn’t going to go well for them. Absolutely no one will go straight to Geometry in 7th after this mess.
HS teacher here. I don’t know about Alg in 6th because that’s really young and should be rare. But most who take Algebra before they are ready and master it just move on anyway. They get through Geometry and hit the wall in Algebra 2. Parents are angry, demand meeting after meeting about the horrible teacher with strict grading but it’s really because their child doesn’t have a solid and strong foundation.
Many of us were discussing in our math department meeting yesterday how we have students with the weakest algebra foundations ever in our classes this year. Algebra 1 is the most important HS class your kid will take. Do not rush through it. It is the foundation for everything else. It doesn’t matter if that happened in 6th grade or 9th grade.
I think the push is coming more from the superintendent’s office than from the parents.
Anonymous
09/24/2025 06:25
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Poor teachers - dealing with kids who can’t really do math now in an Algebra class. Totally ridiculous. Some of these kids will just retake algebra in 7th anyway because you know this year isn’t going to go well for them. Absolutely no one will go straight to Geometry in 7th after this mess.
HS teacher here. I don’t know about Alg in 6th because that’s really young and should be rare. But most who take Algebra before they are ready and master it just move on anyway. They get through Geometry and hit the wall in Algebra 2. Parents are angry, demand meeting after meeting about the horrible teacher with strict grading but it’s really because their child doesn’t have a solid and strong foundation.
Many of us were discussing in our math department meeting yesterday how we have students with the weakest algebra foundations ever in our classes this year. Algebra 1 is the most important HS class your kid will take. Do not rush through it. It is the foundation for everything else. It doesn’t matter if that happened in 6th grade or 9th grade.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 22:15
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Just FYI...
MCPS allows kids to test into Algebra 1 in 6th grade. That cohort is very small, mostly because MCPS tries to keep it secret and parents only get to know that pathway by word of mouth. If it were publicized, tons of families would clamor for their kids to take the test.
One of my kids took Alg in 6th, and is now taking AP Calc BC in 10th grade. Her school offers some post-calc math classes as dual enrollment, that she can take beyond that, since MCPS requires one math class every year of high school. So far, so good, straight As. My other kid would definitely not have been able to take that pathway!
MCPS allows kids to test into Algebra 1 in 6th grade. That cohort is very small, mostly because MCPS tries to keep it secret and parents only get to know that pathway by word of mouth. If it were publicized, tons of families would clamor for their kids to take the test.
One of my kids took Alg in 6th, and is now taking AP Calc BC in 10th grade. Her school offers some post-calc math classes as dual enrollment, that she can take beyond that, since MCPS requires one math class every year of high school. So far, so good, straight As. My other kid would definitely not have been able to take that pathway!
Anonymous
09/23/2025 22:10
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
No AAP parent is going into high school with a 1.0 or 2.0 gpa. I call bs.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 22:08
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Poor teachers - dealing with kids who can’t really do math now in an Algebra class. Totally ridiculous. Some of these kids will just retake algebra in 7th anyway because you know this year isn’t going to go well for them. Absolutely no one will go straight to Geometry in 7th after this mess.
Some will. Actually, I suspect a significant number will, regardless of grades. While DCUM loves to recount the families that expunge A-'s, in my experience 99% of families take the grade and move on. I have a lot of freshmen in algebra 2 honors who got Bs and Cs in geometry in 8th grade. They don't want to expunge/repeat though, even when the offer is presented.
I also have multiple (5+) kids this year who got Bs or lower in algebra 1 in middle school but took geometry over the summer anyway (and got Cs or Ds) to be able to take algebra 2 this year. And still they push ahead. It's an interesting race to nowhere.
Right now the rule is if you take geometry as a middle schooler it has to be honors. I will be curious to see if that rule goes away and schools have to start offering regular geometry to prevent kids from failing with this massive push to get kids to take algebra earlier and earlier.
That’s hard to fathom taking a C or D for an advanced math grade. No parent would do that.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 21:31
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Poor teachers - dealing with kids who can’t really do math now in an Algebra class. Totally ridiculous. Some of these kids will just retake algebra in 7th anyway because you know this year isn’t going to go well for them. Absolutely no one will go straight to Geometry in 7th after this mess.
Some will. Actually, I suspect a significant number will, regardless of grades. While DCUM loves to recount the families that expunge A-'s, in my experience 99% of families take the grade and move on. I have a lot of freshmen in algebra 2 honors who got Bs and Cs in geometry in 8th grade. They don't want to expunge/repeat though, even when the offer is presented.
I also have multiple (5+) kids this year who got Bs or lower in algebra 1 in middle school but took geometry over the summer anyway (and got Cs or Ds) to be able to take algebra 2 this year. And still they push ahead. It's an interesting race to nowhere.
Right now the rule is if you take geometry as a middle schooler it has to be honors. I will be curious to see if that rule goes away and schools have to start offering regular geometry to prevent kids from failing with this massive push to get kids to take algebra earlier and earlier.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 20:23
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Poor teachers - dealing with kids who can’t really do math now in an Algebra class. Totally ridiculous. Some of these kids will just retake algebra in 7th anyway because you know this year isn’t going to go well for them. Absolutely no one will go straight to Geometry in 7th after this mess.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 20:21
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Their parents will get them tutors so they can keep up and they will have to do the same for pretty much every math class after.
I don’t have a problem with offering A1H to 6th graders who are ready but it should be a small group of kids with very specific cut offs and no exceptions made. The number of kids they are placing in the class is massive, which is kind of crazy. They are jumping from 30 a year to 500 this year.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 19:19
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Geez, setting kids up to fail. "We know you didn't meet the bare minimum to be successful in algebra 1, but I'll put you in the class anyway because your parents are obnoxious and if I tell them no it will make my job harder in the short term."
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Poor kids. It's going to be a long slog of math to high school graduation.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 17:55
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:https://navyes.fcps.edu/aggregator/sources/1
Navy has a grade 6 algebra pilot this year. Open above link and look for "Recording: Algebra I Honors Parent Information Session"
It's a zoom recording with password, which is supplied in the webpage.
Eligibility: Pass Grade 6 SOL, and 1125 or more in Iready Math.
I found it odd when they kept over explaining the selection process for algebra at back to school night. They kept emphasizing repeatedly that it was a list sent by the county and they had nothing to do with it. We can now confirm this was not accurate. So misleading and dishonest.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 17:37
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:https://navyes.fcps.edu/aggregator/sources/1
Navy has a grade 6 algebra pilot this year. Open above link and look for "Recording: Algebra I Honors Parent Information Session"
It's a zoom recording with password, which is supplied in the webpage.
Eligibility: Pass Grade 6 SOL, and 1125 or more in Iready Math.
I heard the parents of the kids who did not make it into the algebra class are pissed because how they have to go to the gen ed teacher for math.
No, they have an AAP teacher for non algebra advanced math, the same one as last year. There has been a lot of movement into algebra at Navy after initial selections. I’ve heard of a handful from the beginning of the year being added to DC’s class including some in the last couple weeks.
The last week? What’s going on there?
Probably principal placements. Ask and you shall receive.
That’s crazy! Why are parents asking to be placed in algebra so late? And why is the principal encouraging it?
Anonymous
09/23/2025 16:31
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:https://navyes.fcps.edu/aggregator/sources/1
Navy has a grade 6 algebra pilot this year. Open above link and look for "Recording: Algebra I Honors Parent Information Session"
It's a zoom recording with password, which is supplied in the webpage.
Eligibility: Pass Grade 6 SOL, and 1125 or more in Iready Math.
I heard the parents of the kids who did not make it into the algebra class are pissed because how they have to go to the gen ed teacher for math.
No, they have an AAP teacher for non algebra advanced math, the same one as last year. There has been a lot of movement into algebra at Navy after initial selections. I’ve heard of a handful from the beginning of the year being added to DC’s class including some in the last couple weeks.
The last week? What’s going on there?
Probably principal placements. Ask and you shall receive.
Anonymous
09/23/2025 16:22
Subject: Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:https://navyes.fcps.edu/aggregator/sources/1
Navy has a grade 6 algebra pilot this year. Open above link and look for "Recording: Algebra I Honors Parent Information Session"
It's a zoom recording with password, which is supplied in the webpage.
Eligibility: Pass Grade 6 SOL, and 1125 or more in Iready Math.
I heard the parents of the kids who did not make it into the algebra class are pissed because how they have to go to the gen ed teacher for math.
No, they have an AAP teacher for non algebra advanced math, the same one as last year. There has been a lot of movement into algebra at Navy after initial selections. I’ve heard of a handful from the beginning of the year being added to DC’s class including some in the last couple weeks.
The last week? What’s going on there?