Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How much math do these kids have to take? Why not retake Algebra 1? As a senior you can graduate as long as you have completed Algebra 2 (and previously Geometry)
If they got a passing grade the first time FCPS won’t let them retake it :/
You can retake any high school class that you took in middle school, replacing the grade.
But I think you have to make that request by the start of the summer.
Sorry, yes. My struggling kids are juniors who took A1 as freshman so this wouldn’t apply.
For middle school you can request a grade be “expunged” from the HS transcript but it has to happen before they start high school.
If they took Algebra 1 as a freshman doesn’t that mean they weren’t that strong in math to begin with? I know the majority take it in 8th grade.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What a sanctimonious post.
Teaching your kids values has zero to do with how ineffective distance learning was for the vast majority of kids.
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.
So kids now have to hunt for a textbook at the library? Too bad we don’t have textbooks.
No, they do not need to do that. They just need to turn on their school computer and google "solving radical equations khan academy."
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What a sanctimonious post.
Teaching your kids values has zero to do with how ineffective distance learning was for the vast majority of kids.
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.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What a sanctimonious post.
Teaching your kids values has zero to do with how ineffective distance learning was for the vast majority of kids.
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.
So kids now have to hunt for a textbook at the library? Too bad we don’t have textbooks.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What a sanctimonious post.
Teaching your kids values has zero to do with how ineffective distance learning was for the vast majority of kids.
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.
So kids now have to hunt for a textbook at the library? Too bad we don’t have textbooks.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How much math do these kids have to take? Why not retake Algebra 1? As a senior you can graduate as long as you have completed Algebra 2 (and previously Geometry)
If they got a passing grade the first time FCPS won’t let them retake it :/
You can retake any high school class that you took in middle school, replacing the grade.
But I think you have to make that request by the start of the summer.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How much math do these kids have to take? Why not retake Algebra 1? As a senior you can graduate as long as you have completed Algebra 2 (and previously Geometry)
If they got a passing grade the first time FCPS won’t let them retake it :/
You can retake any high school class that you took in middle school, replacing the grade.
But I think you have to make that request by the start of the summer.
Sorry, yes. My struggling kids are juniors who took A1 as freshman so this wouldn’t apply.
For middle school you can request a grade be “expunged” from the HS transcript but it has to happen before they start high school.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What a sanctimonious post.
Teaching your kids values has zero to do with how ineffective distance learning was for the vast majority of kids.
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.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What a sanctimonious post.
Teaching your kids values has zero to do with how ineffective distance learning was for the vast majority of kids.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How much math do these kids have to take? Why not retake Algebra 1? As a senior you can graduate as long as you have completed Algebra 2 (and previously Geometry)
If they got a passing grade the first time FCPS won’t let them retake it :/
You can retake any high school class that you took in middle school, replacing the grade.
But I think you have to make that request by the start of the summer.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for all of the input, especially from the teachers early on. He actually is getting help from someone in the family who literally used to teach this class until 2 years ago and even he said some of the questions on the last test my kid got were pretty intense and hard for him to interpret what exactly the question was asking for. I think another problem with these tests is that they have bizarre numbers of problems (17 or 14), so it doesn't take much to tank the grade. I am definitely looking into getting a tutor and he's been going to after school help sessions. I think its odd how many people are very dismissive of the the students. "Oh well, too bad, you better catch up!" Certainly there were some kids who just cheated in middle school and don't care, but there are also many kids who are suffering from the instruction during online learning, and who really WANT to do well. They're kids, that were just working with what they were given, through no fault of their own. This also happened with language. Last year, my kid went into second year language and discovered that his 8th grade teacher had taught him practically nothing, so yes, he had to learn enough to catch up. He worked very hard and was able to do it, but that certainly shouldn't have been ON HIM to make up for was never taught to him.
Some of this might also have to do with schools no longer using textbooks, instead having teachers come up with their own material.
If you have a mediocre teacher, especially in math, the lack of textbooks can really be detrimental to student learning.
Completely agree. The positive about textbooks and standard tests is that the questions and explanations have been reviewed and vetted generally both internally and through actual teachers and students. If there are issues there is feedback and correction. Individual or very small groups of teachers creating their own content generally leads to lower quality ambiguous questions and explanations - you are a little blind to your own confusing content and there is not much review and feedback. Often without textbooks and standard material, the individual teachers are just adding a layer of confusion. The basic math subject material for Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry etc have not changed in a long, long time - there is little need for teachers to be rolling their own.