Controversy Rages as California Follows SF’s Lead With New Approach to Teaching Math

SF Standard ^

[Aevery_Freeman]

C’mon man! Ev’body know 2+2=White Supremacy. Racist MF’er!

[nathanbedford]

Why have we conceded the field to so-called "experts?"

Every profession attempts to erect barriers to entry to protect itself. Lawyers have the Bar Association and its rules for admission and ethics. Likewise the American Medical Association and other doctors associations. Such groups are very fond of jargon which further sets them apart from the unwashed.

This desire to protect one's turf extends to blue-collar occupations where unions seek to have a closed shop and to regulate the rules such as promotion according to their liking.

Every occupation, it seems, undertakes the lobby for government protection of its interests and we see a kind of cronyism emerging as regulatory capture applies even here.

Somehow, like most of the soft subjects where academics have attempted to create a "science" where nothing but art and jargon exists, pedagogues have managed to have created a closed shop which insulates them from pesky intrusions from taxpayers and even parents of the very children entrusted to them.

Why does it take a licensed professional or "expert" to know how to teach everything from arithmetic to algebra? If it does, we should fire the lot and hire a whole new bunch of professionals because these guys can't do the job-or spell wont do the job.

[rbg81]

The Asians and Indians in California are going to hate this.

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They are not going to tolerate it. You will just end up driving them to private or home schools. Really, that will be true of anyone who cares about their kids and can affort it. And maybe that is the plan?

[norwaypinesavage]

"The way things are set up, it’s not giving everybody a chance to learn math at the highest levels.”\"

So the solution according to the addled Leftists is: "Give NO one a chance to learn math at the highest levels.

That's certainly 'equity'. From the Addled-in-Chief on down, everyone will have equity (except for the Chinese, Germans, British, Indians, Vietnamese, Burmese, Russians........

[eyeamok]

We had Algebra in the 7th grade

[ridesthemiles]

I can see it now:

LEROY has 2 guns & 30 cartridges

He shoots up a liquor store, wounds 3 patrons

He then shoots 3 people on the Metro

HOW MUCH CASH does Leroy NOW have??????

Extra credit if you know how many cartridges Leroy has left.

[ridesthemiles]

Depends on size of their get-way vehicles.......

[ridesthemiles]

Depends on size of their getaway vehicles.......

[GingisK]

So should anyone else who hoped that the time spent in school would be useful.

[Pollard]

applies social justice principles to math lessons

How much stuff you loot last night?

It ain't lootin man, it organized robbery.

Oh yeah, I forgot

[smokingfrog]

lol

[dfwgator]

Remember when this was sort of a joke?

1. Teaching Math In 1950s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit ?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s

A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s

A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living?

Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it’s ok. )

6. Teaching Math In 2009

Un hachero vende una carretada de madera para $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha ganado?

Forecast: Teaching Math In 2013 and on.

Who cares, just steal the lumber from your rich neighbor’s property. He won’t have a gun to stop you, and the President says it’s OK anyway cuz it’s redistributing the wealth.

[Svartalfiar]

San Francisco Unified School District touted the effort as a success, asserting that algebra failure rates fell and the number of students taking advanced math rose as a result of the change.

Of course Algebra failure rates go down, if you're delaying teaching it to kids by a year or three. Third grade test scores would go up as well if you waiting until 5th grade to do the same material!
But I have no idea how they supposedly have "more" kids taking advanced math, if more kids are delayed in their math progression. Or did they redefine "advanced math" to include stuff like algebra or geometry?

[nascarnation]

I’m not sure how this works today.
When I was in school (60s) we didn’t start algebra until 9th grade but we took calculus senior year.

Now my grandkids have algebra starting in 7th grade. Not sure how they will progress.

[Svartalfiar]

I’m not sure how this works today.
When I was in school (60s) we didn’t start algebra until 9th grade but we took calculus senior year.

Now my grandkids have algebra starting in 7th grade. Not sure how they will progress.

My high school had me on the more advanced track, which was AlgI freshman year, Trig/Algebra2 and geometry soph, Pre-Cal junior year, and AP-BC Calc senior. BUT, who knows the quality or actual content of their algebra classes, if it actually progresses into calculus or not really.

[algore]

I was at a liquor Store and saw this