Algebra-waiver push goes statewide

Santa Cruz Sentinel ^ | May 13, 2004 | DAVID SCHARFENBERG

[freebilly]

SANTA CRUZ — A small, embarrassing gaffe by local school officials has spawned a big, controversial movement statewide.

Santa Cruz City Schools officials realized this fall they’d failed to inform high school students and staff that, starting with the Class of 2004, pupils needed to pass algebra to graduate.

Word of the state requirement sparked panic among the 150 students whose diplomas were in jeopardy, a raft of accelerated algebra classes and, ultimately, forgiveness from the state Board of Education, which approved a one-year reprieve in January.

But the story doesn’t end there.

To the chagrin of high-standards advocates throughout California, Santa Cruz’s example inspired eight waiver approvals in March and about 200 more applications since. Today, the state board is expected to approve most of those exemptions.

At stake are diplomas for about 14,000 students, or 5 percent of California’s graduating senior class.

Some districts, like Santa Cruz, say the state did a poor job informing them of the new requirement, penned in 2000 by state Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno. Others say the law, which includes no exemptions for special education or other at-risk students, is too onerous.

Still others, like the Watsonville-based Pajaro Valley Unified School District, argue it’s simply unfair to require local students to pass algebra when dozens of other districts around the state are applying for exemptions.

But critics say the waiver movement is stalling California’s march toward higher standards and handicapping students who need basic math skills to succeed at college or in the work force.

"Algebra is a gateway skill," Poochigian said. "A grasp of algebraic concepts inspires a higher level of critical thinking and aids with real-world problem solving."

The state board shares some of the critics’ concerns and has attached several restrictions to the waivers. Among them: the exempted students must be enrolled in algebra classes and attempting to pass, and school districts must inform high school juniors of the requirement to avoid a repeat of the problem next year.

The panel also has made it clear that it will not entertain blanket exemptions next year.

The state informed school officials of the requirement in a Sept. 4, 2001 memorandum, and many districts began bolstering their algebra programs shortly thereafter.

But Santa Cruz Assistant Superintendent of Education Services Carl Del Grande said the notification, buried in a larger missive about strategies for improving math scores, was insufficient.

And like many officials around the state, Santa Cruz administrators assumed the algebra requirement had been delayed until 2006, along with the mandate that students pass California’s high school exit exam to graduate.

After all, much of the concern about implementing the exit exam this year, as planned, was rooted in its reliance on algebra standards that many students hadn’t yet been taught.

In the end, Del Grande said, whether the state or district officials were to blame for the snafu, pupils shouldn’t pay the price.

"I don’t feel we gave these students fair notice and to hold them accountable for miscommunication among adults ... would have been egregious," he said.

But critics say the waivers just give school officials an excuse for failure.

"It’s letting districts off the hook," said Russlynn Ali, executive director of Oakland-based Education Trust-West, which seeks to shrink the ethnic "achievement gap." The algebra requirement "is a good and necessary policy."

Some school officials agree. Dianne Vaez, director of secondary education for the 23,500-student Temecula Valley Unified School District outside San Diego said she never considered applying for a waiver.

"The state was very clear about algebra being a requirement for the Class of 2004, so it’s hard for us to understand how a (district) couldn’t inform their students and prepare," she said.

Nancy Swertel, whose son James Swertel Jr. is a senior at Soquel High School and is covered by the waiver, said she’s in favor of keeping standards high and holding districts accountable.

But other families who got late word of the algebra requirement deserve the same break afforded the Swertels, she said.

"I feel for any parent that has put in the time and energy with their child and expects them to graduate and gets thrown a curve at the last minute," she said.

[freebilly]

Algebra is one of the most useful tools for grasping and solving real life problems.

Down here in Santa Cruz County, we may not know how fast a plane from Logan Airport can get to a building in downtown Manhatten if it's traveling 500 miles an hour, but we do pride ourselves on being one of the most gay friendly communities in America....

[anniegetyourgun]

Oh what the heck, why not just let 'em waive high school altogether.

[Red Badger]

I don't know why people think that ALGEBRA is difficult. It really isn't. I think it is because of the name AL-GEBRA is ARABIC! from al-jabr (literally, the reduction)..........................TERRORISM IN MATH!

[Puppage]

Santa Cruz City Schools officials realized this fall they’d failed to inform high school students and staff that, starting with the Class of 2004, pupils needed to pass algebra to graduate.

Gee, did they also inform them that they'd have to pass English and Gym, too?

[valkyrieanne]

Well ... yes and no. Most of high school algebra isn't word problem solving about how long it takes to get from Santa Cruz to Albequerque. That's actually sixth-seventh grade math.

To pass algebra, students need to learn negative number arithmetic, exponents, the straight-line equation and the x-y coordinate system, solving quadratic equations, and factoring.

Algebra isn't meant to be a terminal arithmetic course - that's what elementary/middle school math is for. Algebra is meant to be the *first* foundation course in the series of college-prep math that leads up to calculus (and for some kids, differential equations.)

[freebilly]

Oh what the heck, why not just let 'em waive high school altogether.

Hey, with dad, mom, and the hamster working, who'd watch the kids...?

[gr8eman]

I had to explain the Pythagorean triangle concept to my boss recently when I was doing a survey! When I told him that is how I used to square shingles when roofing a house he became impressed!

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

"Algebra is one of the most useful tools for grasping and solving real life problems.

Down here in Santa Cruz County, we may not know how fast a plane from Logan Airport can get to a building in downtown Manhatten if it's traveling 500 miles an hour, but we do pride ourselves on being one of the most gay friendly communities in America...."


How come no one has suggested cross disciplinary curriculum to your politically correct schools in Santa Cruz?

Safe sex and Algebra I, for instance.

"If Darrell uses 3 times as many condoms as Spencer and Spencer uses them at the rate of 24 per week, how many will this committed copulating couple need to purchase in a leap year?"

[nmh]

It is critical that kids learn algebra. Pay raises, expenses, projected analysis etc.. If the U.S. keeps up this dumbing down we won't have a future.

There are too many who are shall we say less than functional. MOST can't even count back change after a purchase. They'll see the amount of change to give and just count up to that amount. It's getting ridiculous.

[martin_fierro]

Read an article in one of those free newspapers (over lunch yesterday in Boulder Creek) that showed the % of Santa Cruz County HS seniors writing at college level.

I think Scotts Valley was at the top at 85%. Watsonville was dead last at something like 50%.

[GOPgirl_VA]

At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual later discovered to be
a public school teacher was arrested trying to board a flight while in
possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, and a calculator.

Attorney General John Ashcroft believes the man is a member of the
notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged with carrying weapons of
math instruction.

Al-gebra is a very fearsome cult, indeed. They desire average solutions by
means and extremes, and sometimes go off on a tangent in a search of
absolute value. They consist of quite shadowy figures, with names like "x"
and "y", and, although they are frequently referred to as "unknowns", we
know they really belong to a common denominator and are part of the axis of
medieval with coordinates in every country. As the great Greek philanderer
Isosceles used to say, there are 3 sides to every angle, and if God had
wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given
us more fingers and toes.

Therefore, I'm extremely grateful that our government has given us a sine
that it is intent on protracting us from these math-dogs who are so willing
to disintegrate us with calculus disregard. These statistic bastards love
to inflict plane on every sphere of influence. Under the circumferences,
it's time we differentiated their root, made our point, and drew the line.
These weapons of math instruction have the potential to decimal everything
in their math on
a scalene never before seen unless we become exponents of a Higher Power
and begin to factor-in random facts of vertex. As our Great Leader would
say, Read my ellipse.

Here is one principle he is uncertainty of---though they continue to
multiply, their days are numbered and the hypotenuse will tighten around
their necks.

[snopercod]

Speaking of the x-y coordinate system, I learned AutoCAD a couple of years ago. Knowing the x-y and polar coordinate systems are an absolute must to even operate that program.

I was surprised at how many of the college-level people had problems with those.

Oh, I dropped out of that class when the instructor told me that "I was too far ahead of the rest of the class" and would have to just sit there until they caught up.

[Carry_Okie]

Some districts, like Santa Cruz, say the state did a poor job informing them of the new requirement, penned in 2000 by state Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno.

Let's see: It's been four YEARS since this requirement was written and these idiots claim they didn't know.

I think we've identified the problem.

[Tacis]

Give them the exam and see what happens. Any stutent who are cultuarlly, socially, economically historically underappreciated by society or evil white folks must be assumed to be correct when X = 3,4,6,7,8,9 with up to 3 decimal point of any combination. That's the only fair way to do it.

Of course, the real issue isn't the seniors or whether they graduate. The issue is the poor union teachers who may not have rigged their course plan to get the maximum passes to ensure the maximum bonus for themselves. And, with union teachers, the largest bonuses have to go to the most senior teachers so this could really hurt. Teaching would be such a great and noble occupation if it weren't for all the classes, grading work and dumb kids.

[Carry_Okie]

AutoCAD can be self-taught. Most CAD programs are really easy.

[blanknoone]

The administrators need to take a reading comprehension course. Preferably a better one than what their school probably offers.

[expatguy]

Condom + Banana class

[Cobra64]

Geometry, Algebra I and II are no brainers. Now calculus and statistics can be a stretch for some folks.

[Carry_Okie]

Algebra isn't meant to be a terminal arithmetic course - that's what elementary/middle school math is for. Algebra is meant to be the *first* foundation course in the series of college-prep math that leads up to calculus (and for some kids, differential equations.)

I've taught Algebra to a six year old. She's eleven now and doing college calculus. There's no excuse. Virtually all of what is taught in the first three years of college should be accomplished by the end of high school.

[Carry_Okie]

The administrators need to take a reading comprehension course. Preferably a better one than what their school probably offers.

I disagree.

They should be taught to wash dishes and mow lawns so that they could do something productive. The people who are taking jobs Americans won't do then won't be needed.