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Cambridge schools are divided over middle school algebra
Boston Globe ^ | July 18, 2023 | Christopher Huffaker

Posted on 07/23/2023 2:03:34 PM PDT by grundle

Martin Udengaard wants more for his son, and he doesn’t think Cambridge schools can deliver.

Cambridge Public Schools no longer offers advanced math in middle school, something that could hinder his son Isaac from reaching more advanced classes, like calculus, in high school. So Udengaard is pulling his child, a rising sixth grader, out of the district, weighing whether to homeschool or send him to private school, where he can take algebra I in middle school.

Udengaard is one of dozens of families who recently have publicly voiced frustration by a years-old decision made by Cambridge to remove advanced math classes in grades six to eight. The district’s aim was to reduce disparities between low-income children of color, who weren’t often represented in such courses, and their more affluent peers. But some families and educators argue the decision has had the opposite effect, limiting advanced math to students whose parents can afford to take private lessons, like the popular after-school program Russian Math, or find other options for their kids, like Udengaard is doing.

“The students who are able to jump into a higher level math class are students from better-resourced backgrounds,” said Jacob Barandes, another district parent and a Harvard physicist. “They’re shortchanging a significant number of students, overwhelmingly students from less-resourced backgrounds, which is deeply inequitable.”

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: arth; cambridge; donatedonaldtrump; donatefreerepublic; donatetrump; education; math
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According to this article from the Boston Globe, some parents have removed their children from the Cambridge, Massachusetts public school district because it has just stopped offering eighth grade students the option of taking Algebra 1. I agree with these parents for removing their children over this.
1 posted on 07/23/2023 2:03:34 PM PDT by grundle
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To: grundle

Have to bring everyone to the lowest level of moron status.....


2 posted on 07/23/2023 2:08:10 PM PDT by Hambone 1934 (Dems love playing Nazis.....The republicans love helping them)
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To: grundle

Ideally, the public school system should be able to provide an education for 12 years at whatever speed a student can handle the courses, even if it means graduating with a bachelor degree or trade diploma.


3 posted on 07/23/2023 2:08:35 PM PDT by Jonty30 (If liberals were truth tellers, they'd call themselves literals. )
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To: grundle

Russian math:

Sometimes you solve equation

Sometimes equation solves you


4 posted on 07/23/2023 2:08:39 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: grundle
Algebra in Middle-School is NOT "advanced math"!!

I had it in 7th, 8th, & 9th Grade

5 posted on 07/23/2023 2:09:16 PM PDT by G Larry (It is RACIST to impose SLAVE WAGES on LEGAL Immigrants by importing Cheap ILLEGAL Labor!)
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To: grundle

“They’re shortchanging a significant number of students, overwhelmingly students from less-resourced backgrounds, which is deeply inequitable.”

Visions of Clarence Thomas and others who became very well accomplished individuals even though they came from such “less resourced backgrounds”.


6 posted on 07/23/2023 2:09:27 PM PDT by OttawaFreeper ("The Gardens was founded by men-sportsmen-who fought for their country" Conn Smythe, 1966 )
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To: Hambone 1934

We should have listened to Carlin

(Language)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNXHSMmaq_s


7 posted on 07/23/2023 2:09:38 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: grundle
“The students who are able to jump into a higher level math class are students from better-resourced backgrounds,”

And what is THAT code for? You know the usual suspects will scream;


8 posted on 07/23/2023 2:11:40 PM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Perhaps we should be less concerned with who we might offend and more concerned with who we inspire.)
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To: grundle

“The students who are able to jump into a higher level math class are students from better-resourced backgrounds,” said Jacob Barandes, another district parent and a Harvard physicist. “They’re shortchanging a significant number of students, overwhelmingly students from less-resourced backgrounds, which is deeply inequitable.”


Harvard physicist can’t figure out that this is being done deliberately.

He thinks he will shame the Regime into reversing by labelling it “inequitable”.


9 posted on 07/23/2023 2:17:10 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: grundle
1.) Algebra I is not advanced mathematics and neither is Algebra II. 2.) Students that have mastered arithmetic will be bored to death when they are not able to be challenged. 3.) Postponing course work dependent on algebra will put children at a competitive disadvantage in college admissions.

Quite honestly, any school board member, administrator or teacher that doesn’t understand the above should be barred from education and never be allowed near children.

10 posted on 07/23/2023 2:21:40 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA (The Delay Trump’s trial, delay. Elect Trump President. Trump pardons himself. )
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To: grundle

I had a couple of engineers working for me who came from Nicaragua. They went through school in dirt floor single room schools with three grades in it. They wrote wonderful letters* to clients and customers. They studied algebra and calculous starting in (if I recall) seventh grade. They were so much better educated than the Americans I had working for me.

* Because I was the boss, I always reviewed letters going to customers. A letter can show up in a courtroom, so you have to be careful what you say and how you say it. I read a letter from one of the Nicaraguan’s. I only redlined things that absolutely had to be changed. If someone was akward but got the point across I didn’t change it. I read this letter, which was on a complicated event, and I was so impressed. It was clear, concise and beautifully written. I probably read it three times just for the pleasure of it. Remember, these guys learned English as a second language.


11 posted on 07/23/2023 2:22:04 PM PDT by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
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To: grundle

When my sin was in 8th grade he was taking Calculus at the high school. In HS he was taking advanced math at Harvy Mud College. 20+ years ago. They don’t do that kind of stuff anymore at California schools.


12 posted on 07/23/2023 2:23:17 PM PDT by Captain Compassion (I'm just sayin')
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To: grundle

I learned some new words. Better-resourced and less-resourced.


13 posted on 07/23/2023 2:23:39 PM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: grundle

Just to level set the discussion, my two sons had Algebra 1 in 7th grade (this was a one year acceleration, the typical student in our district has Algebra 1 in 8th grade). Pushing it to high school is frankly incomprehensible.


14 posted on 07/23/2023 2:25:16 PM PDT by NittanyLion
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To: ConservativeInPA
1.) Algebra I is not advanced mathematics and neither is Algebra II. 2.) Students that have mastered arithmetic will be bored to death when they are not able to be challenged. 3.) Postponing course work dependent on algebra will put children at a competitive disadvantage in college admissions.

Please tell us 1) What % of students currently in 8th grade in your state have IQs of 85 or below?; and 2) What does brain science tell you about abstract reasoning, algebra, and IQs of <85 - and college! Don't be absurd.

15 posted on 07/23/2023 2:27:04 PM PDT by Jim Noble (Make the GOP illegal - everything else will follow)
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To: grundle

who needs algebra anyways. We all know that it’s a product of white supremacy.


16 posted on 07/23/2023 2:39:13 PM PDT by LuxAerterna
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To: Jim Noble

I don’t know what the point of your post is, but very few students in Cambridge MA are likely to have an IQ under 85. Some people may, but they can still learn Algebra and geometry which are the typical middle school math courses.


17 posted on 07/23/2023 2:40:19 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
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To: Reverend Wright
Harvard physicist can’t figure out that this is being done deliberately.

Cambridge is a city generally populated by wealthy liberal professionals and academics. Apparently they just noticed their schools are intentionally omitting teaching their children what they learned at the same age.

18 posted on 07/23/2023 2:43:00 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
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To: grundle

Can any of these complaining parents tell us who they voted for in their School Board elections?
This mater because most board members are endorsed by the unions they negotiate contracts with.


19 posted on 07/23/2023 2:59:59 PM PDT by Mark was here
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To: grundle

Back in the 1980s, when relative sanity reigned in the publik skrewels, I took Algebra in 8th Grade, in spite of having a “less-resourced background.” Not a single teacher or student in the school appeared to give a sh!t about “minority representation” in my Algebra class. And everybody was fine with that.


20 posted on 07/23/2023 3:04:16 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (FBI out of Florida!)
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