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California Tries to Close the Gap in Math, but Sets Off a Backlash
nytimes ^ | 11/06/2021

Posted on 11/06/2021 6:49:09 AM PDT by devane617

California Tries to Close the Gap in Math, but Sets Off a Backlash Proposed guidelines in the state would de-emphasize calculus, reject the idea that some children are naturally gifted and build a connection to social justice. Critics say math shouldn’t be political.

But ever since a draft was opened for public comment in February, the recommendations have set off a fierce debate over not only how to teach math, but also how to solve a problem more intractable than Fermat’s last theorem: closing the racial and socioeconomic disparities in achievement that persist at every level of math education.

The California guidelines, which are not binding, could overhaul the way many school districts approach math instruction. The draft rejected the idea of naturally gifted children, recommended against shifting certain students into accelerated courses in middle school and tried to promote high-level math courses that could serve as alternatives to calculus, like data science or statistics.

The draft also suggested that math should not be colorblind and that teachers could use lessons to explore social justice — for example, by looking out for gender stereotypes in word problems, or applying math concepts to topics like immigration or inequality.

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California; US: New York
KEYWORDS: astronomy; calculus; california; catastrophism; criticalracetheory; crt; gavinnewsom; jaceyfortin; larryelder; mediawingofthednc; nancypelosi; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; nuts; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; physics; science; stringtheory; xplanets
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To: Lazamataz

That’s just YOUR truth, white boy.


41 posted on 11/06/2021 7:29:09 AM PDT by Romulus (70s7" 7.7)
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To: Lazamataz

That’s just YOUR truth, white boy.


42 posted on 11/06/2021 7:29:16 AM PDT by Romulus (70s7" 7.7)
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To: Lazamataz

That’s just YOUR truth, white boy.


43 posted on 11/06/2021 7:29:18 AM PDT by Romulus (70s7" 7.7)
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To: Lazamataz

That’s just YOUR truth, white boy.


44 posted on 11/06/2021 7:29:26 AM PDT by Romulus (70s7" 7.7)
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To: Lazamataz

Answer: Zero and her pimp gave her a black eye for not
sharing the crack.


45 posted on 11/06/2021 7:29:42 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Romulus

I’m noticing the post button is very slow this morning
resulting in multiple posts.


46 posted on 11/06/2021 7:30:49 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: devane617
Teaching statistics to kids who hate or are indifferent to math while simultaneously teaching CRT and other liberal nonsense?

Certainly that won't end badly.

47 posted on 11/06/2021 7:32:05 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not a tagline.)
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To: devane617
Teaching statistics to kids who hate or are indifferent to math while simultaneously teaching CRT and other liberal nonsense?

Certainly that won't end badly.

48 posted on 11/06/2021 7:32:12 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not a tagline.)
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To: devane617
Teaching statistics to kids who hate or are indifferent to math while simultaneously teaching CRT and other liberal nonsense?

Certainly that won't end badly.

49 posted on 11/06/2021 7:32:21 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not a tagline.)
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To: The Free Engineer

Sorry to say, but “No Child Left Behind” was courtesy of George W. Bush.


50 posted on 11/06/2021 7:33:02 AM PDT by Lib Buster (Don't tell me who you are. How you spend your time says it all.)
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To: devane617

When my daughter was in 7th grade in CA public school three years ago, she was not permitted to advance in math during the school year. She couldn’t take Algebra in 8th grade unless she agreed to be in summer school ALL SUMMER, with no family vacations permitted. And we’d have to drive her 30 minutes away every day for it, and we were both working in offices back then, and couldn’t. No bus service. So we declined this “offer.”

So she was bored in 8th grade math, and then decided to take both Algebra AND Geometry in 9th grade to get to the level she wanted to be: in Precalculus by 11th grade.

She shouldn’t have had to do all that—two math classes in 9th grade. Ridiculous.

I pulled her in 2020 from her public school that was refusing to reopen and now she’s happily in a private Christian high school with more sensible curriculums.


51 posted on 11/06/2021 7:33:19 AM PDT by olivia3boys
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To: devane617

“People will really go to battle for maths to stay the same,” said Jo Boaler”

“We have a state and nation that hates math and is not doing well with it,” Dr. Boaler said.”

Hey Jo, which is it, ONE Math, or multiple “Maths”?

Perhaps that’s the rut of the problem...Jo doesn’t even know which.


52 posted on 11/06/2021 7:36:32 AM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone, like most here.)
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To: jimfr

Interesting point, but there is a difference between being able to conceptualize mathematic principles, expressed in mathematical language, and motor skills, handled by the cerebellum in coordination with the motor cortex. The former ability allows a student to apply the principles to new situations, including practical applications such as engineering. The latter ability leads to a higher chance of getting a date with a cheerleader.


53 posted on 11/06/2021 7:38:26 AM PDT by I-ambush (If we make it we’ll all sit back and laugh, but I fear tomorrow I’ll be crying )
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To: The Free Engineer

Bill Clinton had “No Child Left Behind”.


No, NCLB was the final parting gift of Ted Kennedy, which GW Bush signed as a gesture of ‘bipartisanship’. The absurdity of it was that every single child in public schools would meet all educational goals.

The target was to be phased in over time. The first few years were achievable for most schools—maybe 16% of students attaining ‘proficient’ score in reading and math. The kicker was for a school to pass, every identifiable group had to hit the target—blacks, hispanics, Pacific islanders, etc., free/reduced lunch, limited English speakers, special ed. If one group didn’t make the grade, the school failed and if any school in a district failed, the district failed as well.

The target percentage for passing were increased every year, every third or fourth year it increased by a lot. Again, the target was 100% which is absurd on its face. So states started dumbing the tests down and many schools started to cheat and or teach strictly to the test.


54 posted on 11/06/2021 7:39:02 AM PDT by hanamizu
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To: devane617

“We’ve had a really hard time overhauling math instruction in this country,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, the president of California’s board of education...I don’t disagree that it’s a social justice issue.”

So California’s TOP school official is a Social Justice warrior. Not that it matters to the people here already sacrificing their children to these monsters (they have higher priorities than protecting their kids), but perhaps people with very young children or grandchildren will take this into account before running off with their kids to register at their designated public school.


55 posted on 11/06/2021 7:46:35 AM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone, like most here.)
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To: devane617

Ask not for whom the Bell Curve tolls...


56 posted on 11/06/2021 7:46:43 AM PDT by Noumenon (Black flag American. KTF)
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To: devane617
The draft rejected the idea of naturally gifted children

I reject your rejection

57 posted on 11/06/2021 7:47:49 AM PDT by mjp (pro-freedom & pro-wealth $)
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To: devane617

Math is racist because it produces the body count of violent Negro criminals, and the racial characterizations of that body count.


58 posted on 11/06/2021 7:50:44 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: blam
Civilization is racist.

I noticed that.

59 posted on 11/06/2021 7:53:13 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: spokeshave

“The story of Jaime Escalante, a high school teacher who successfully inspired his dropout-prone students to learn calculus in LA.
Authorities thought that they cheated.
Escalante demanded a re-test under controlled supervision.
They all passed with top scores again.”

...and then they drove him out of the schools, since he wasn’t a ‘team player’, by their standards. Just sickens me to see white parents sending their kids to our public schools thinking they’ll get an education...at least Asian know that the schools here suck (far worse than where they come from), and only use them for day care.


60 posted on 11/06/2021 7:54:01 AM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone, like most here.)
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