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2021-06-27 -Great Cultural Revolution

Eliminating accelerated math classes in high school in the name of Equity

[American Thinker] It is really a struggle to imagine what the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has in mind by discussing the elimination of accelerated math classes in schools until 11th grade in the name of equity. The story broke in April 2021and shortly thereafter, the VDOE leadership was backpedaling due to parent backlash. "Absolutely, acceleration is NOT going away in mathematics courses in Virginia, if a student needs an accelerated pathway they will absolutely get it," said Superintendent Dr. James Lane.

So, exactly what is meant by an "accelerated pathway"? It's obviously not an advanced or accelerated course or classroom. This sounds confusingly similar to the malarkey being proffered by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommending students find their ways on common pathways to learn Essential Concepts.

The NCTM and VDOE initiatives lack discussion on structure, sequence, topics, courses, classrooms, and advancement and most important, how the cornerstones of high school math -- algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus – will survive the restructuring.

What is really happening is a rare reveal of liberal orthodoxy exposed in the sausage-making process. I doubt the ideas are going away, they just won't resurface until better disguised.

Eliminating accelerated math courses for middle and high school students is simply a bad idea with serious consequences. For starters, Virginia will have far fewer students accepted into engineering programs of study at U.S. colleges. Thereafter, Virginia's engineering universities will be faced with watering down admission requirements for its own state students. Ultimately, Virginia students who are accepted into in-state and out-of-state engineering programs will not be able to compete with students from other states.

Math classes are the backbone of a high school student's body of work for those pursuing engineering. The normal sequence of classes offered toward high school graduation is Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2/Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus. Accelerated math students can handle Algebra 1 in 8th grade, which puts them on a trajectory to take full calculus (even AP Calculus) before graduating high school. According to PrepScholar's article "How to Get Into College as an Engineer: 5 Key Factors":

Posted by Besoeker 2021-06-27 07:27|| || Front Page|| [21 views ] Top

#1 Proof that 'educators' can't and won't do their job. Time for the students and parents to have an open market for the services and not one forced upon them.

Posted by Procopius2k 2021-06-27 08:00|| 2021-06-27 08:00|| Front Page Top

#2 Ironic, isn't it? In Colonial America the feeling that children needed "enough 'Riting to sign a document, enough 'Reading to read their Bible (Protestant King James version naturally), and enough 'Rithmatic to cypher their monthly budget." Everything beyond that was Rich People's Education™ and was paid for by Rich People at their private schools...

Posted by magpie 2021-06-27 09:37|| 2021-06-27 09:37|| Front Page Top

#3 If you insist on bringing in lower paid engineers and industrial technology from India and China, no need to teach the deplorable proles math skills at any level. Pump them full of CRT and give them their trophy.

Posted by Besoeker 2021-06-27 09:53|| 2021-06-27 09:53|| Front Page Top

#4 Teach them San Francisco Maff : additionby subtraction

Posted by Kofi Spawn of the Texans1075 2021-06-27 12:49|| 2021-06-27 12:49|| Front Page Top

#5 Serfs don't need math or much of any education.

Posted by Snomomble Spump9269 2021-06-27 14:38|| 2021-06-27 14:38|| Front Page Top

#6 Harrison Bergeron.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2021-06-27 14:41|| 2021-06-27 14:41|| Front Page Top

#7 Never mind engineering schools, which most of those parents and their children aren’t interested in anyway. Without the full sheaf of advanced/honours/AP courses, none of those students will have the knowledge or the GPAs to get into Ivy League schools. With all that those parents in particular already spend privately to train their children’s abilities to the highest possible pitch in preparation for winning the competition for Ivy League acceptance, those kids will be moved from public to private school at the speed of thought. If necessary certain previously necessary luxuries will be given up to pay for it, rather than endure the degradation of sending their precious offspring to a public or second tier private university.

Posted by trailing wife 2021-06-27 14:47|| 2021-06-27 14:47|| Front Page Top

#8 I had heard sermons in the 80s there was coming a time when America would be infested by demonic influences that would willfully destroy everything the fathers had built. I had thought it was all malarkey then. Today I see stupidity of the level of criminal insanity, sheer evil and madness... and I wonder.

Posted by Dron66046 2021-06-27 15:06|| 2021-06-27 15:06|| Front Page Top

#9 #7

Been there done that.

Posted by Xyz 2021-06-27 18:03|| 2021-06-27 18:03|| Front Page Top