The Algebra Problem: How Middle School Math Became a National Flashpoint
“Top students can benefit greatly by being offered the subject early. But many districts offer few Black and Latino eighth graders a chance to study it.” –NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/22/nyregion/middle-school-math-algebra.html
What we need are radical solutions to chronic intellectually debilitating problems.
Chapter 17: Building a Highly-Efficient and Highly-Efficacious High School Mathematics Department: This requires a radical readjustment of the mathematics syllabus calendar, course-taking planning, and time-line course offerings restructuring. The aim is first to ensure that when those middle school “Algebra-Deprived” (but not pre-algebra mathematical skills deficient based on their 4th & 8th-grade standardized math exams scores) students transition to the 9th-grade, they are made ready to take and “strongly” pass Algebra that first year, and then comes the rethinking of their H.S. mathematics courses scheduling part. This reimagining of the mathematics courses programing pivotal shift will make them STEM college majors (engineering, pre-med, allied health, STEM research scientist, etc.) prepared by them being mathematically enabled and empowered to take calculus by the 12th grade, or at least being first-year college calculus taking ready after H.S. graduation.
Those high school principals, serving as highly ethical school-based educational leaders, may be unable to change the zip codes where our young people live. Still, we can and must change their potentially limited life trajectories into the best possible life possibilities. Our response to any prior incomplete or total ignoring of their innate mathematics gifts and talents must be radical and uncompromising. This is the true meaning and measure of a public school-building leader.
