Cambridge schools are divided over middle school algebra

Boston Globe ^ | July 18, 2023 | Christopher Huffaker

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Damn, son! When I took Calculus in 12th Grade, it seemed to be one big stumble of C’s and D’s, until I spent winter break doing lots of extra problems on my own. Then I got the hang of it.

For your son to do something like that in 8th Grade screams, “Put this guy in charge of . . . well . . . EVERYTHING!” Congratulations!

[dfwgator]

Thing is now, there are a lot of great resources on Youtube that explain algebra better than most teachers. And it’s free!

If I were a student today, I would just watch Youtube videos to get ahead of the course, and I’d probably only have to study for a fraction of the time.

It’s a matter of having the desire to learn.

[metmom]

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the other articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. Articles pinged to the Another Reason to Homeschool List will be given the keyword of ARTH. (If I remember. If I forget, please feel free to add it yourself)

The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.

[Disambiguator]

Why doesn’t he just go get the Saxon math program and do it himself?

A few hundred bucks, problem solved.

https://www.hmhco.com/programs/saxon-math#overview

[one guy in new jersey]

“...a years-old decision...”

Just because the decision happened more than one year ago, dies that mean it was a good decision? Or that it is somehow now immune from criticism?

Parents can tend to direct their attention to their children’s current school during elementary school years. Does that mean their perspective is invalid when their children move up to middle school and they see a problem?

[Disambiguator]

If you want to be an electrician, you’ll be using algebra all the time.

[dfwgator]

Math gives you a good “BS Meter”.

[ConservativeInPA]

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.

I’m not exactly sure where your questions originate, but here’s my take on intelligence and abstract learning.

To address your question about IQ in my state, I have the following response. IQ’s vary by race, so states with a population like Mississippi will have lower IQ’s than states like Maine. Pennsylvania, where I live, essentially reflects the national average, since the racial makeup of Pennsylvania approximates the nation as a whole. Thus, Pennsylvania’s IQ’s align with the chart above.

I don’t understand why you ask about my state since all states have their share of students with differing cognitive abilities. That does change the approach to education, only the percentage of students learning at different speeds and depths.

Regardless of location, children with IQ’s below 80 have no business being in public school. They are incapable of learning and it is a waste of money. Instead, they need to spend years learning the most basic of daily tasks that have nothing to do with academics.

The questionable IQ range for public education is between 80 and 90. These are your special education students. They are capable of learning the basics of language, arithmetic, science, and history. I think these children are best served by being specialized education that is tailored to their needs, particularly the speed at which they learn. It is unfair to them and more intelligent students to be placed in the same classroom.

When it comes to college bound students, I believe that an IQ above 110 should be required. That’s approximately 20% of the population. SAT and ACT exams are a proxy for IQ tests by the way. Any large collection of random test questions of varying difficulty that have been given to a suitably large population and produce a normal distribution od test results can be used as a proxy for cognitive ability tests (IQ test). Unfortunately, many colleges no longer require SAT’s or ACT’s for admission.

My understanding about abstract learning is that it varies by age, sex and individual. It would be fair to assume more 12 year old girls are cable of abstract learning than 12 year old boys. Differences will disappear in similar intelligence children as the children mature. I haven’t read anything about the correlation between IQ and abstract learning ability, but I highly suspect there is a semi-strong relationship. Logically, it would appear that people with low IQs never develop the ability to learn abstract concepts. Likewise, highly intelligent people can process many and complex abstractions. Most mathematics through calculus II only requires a modicum of abstraction in comparison to higher level mathematics.

My take on mathematics is that any slightly above average intelligent child is capable of learning calculus with proper instruction. That would align with the set of all college bound students.

My experience homeschooling my children followed a natural progression in mathematics topics. They were prepared to do algebra when they mastered the requisite arithmetic topics for algebra. Our schedule was based on mastery, not age, grade or any other arbitrary factor. In other words, new topics in any subject, but particularly for mathematics, were not introduced until mastery of requisite topics. Both of my children completed calculus with analytical geometry (I & II), linear algebra, differential equations, and a two term calculus-based probability and statistics course prior going to college. I used my college textbooks for their textbooks. We went at a college level pace beginning in their “sophomore” years. Most of their mathematics study was independent. I would teach three to four hours per week and offer occasional help with problems after they exhausted all other means of learning. They had full access to problem solver type books, the internet, MIT Open Courseware, and instructor manuals.

[JZelle]

Math is hard.
-Barbie

[bgill]

Smells like Cambridge is teaching to the lowest common denominator.

[bgill]

Back when our kiddo was in 2nd grade, most in the class were far advanced in reading. The teacher let those students go to the library and read at whatever level they wished while she stayed behind in the classroom to teach reading to the other students. Many had their noses buried in Harry Potter. So, great idea, huh! Nope, the teacher was fired for not holding the kids back with the lowest common denominator group.

FYI, the advanced group all attended a little part time church pre-school together. All but one were honor students graduating from high school bam, bam, bam in gpa.

[Tired of Taxes]

RE: Saxon math

Yep. Homeschooled students don’t have to follow a school schedule. They’re free to move ahead quickly or take more time, whatever suits them.

They can pick and choose their own math curriculum, too. And, usually, another family will sell their used books for a low price or even give them away free.

[Tired of Taxes]

You wrote: "children with IQ’s below 80 have no business being in public school. They are incapable of learning and it is a waste of money."

If everyone is forced to pay into the public school system, then every child is entitled to be there.

With that said, the government (federal, state, or local) should not be in the education business. Government has monopolized education. Parents now expect the government to raise and educate their children.

Public schools should provide nothing more than a basic education, and spending should be cut to a bare minimum. Then, more parents would consider private schools, and private schools could flourish, providing families with more options.

You wrote: "When it comes to college bound students, I believe that an IQ above 110 should be required... SAT and ACT exams are a proxy for IQ tests"

I knew students with low SAT scores who did very well in college and are successful in their careers. I knew people with high IQs who never finished college. I knew a Mensa member whose life was a complete mess. I knew a top student with (supposedly) a 100 IQ who became wealthy and successful.

IQ tests are overrated here. A student with common sense and good study habits will succeed in college and life.

But, I do believe a high SAT or ACT score should continue to be a qualifier for merit scholarships.

[Aevery_Freeman]

The teacher's union, by and large, controls entry into politics.

If one does not pay proper homage to the union, a political career is very difficult.

Just one reason that almost all current politicians hate Trump - he went straight to the head of the line.

[wintertime]

Our Saxon Math books are now in use by the grandchildren.

[ConservativeInPA]

If everyone is forced to pay into the public school system, then every child is entitled to be there.

Bull crap. They are not capable of learning. Schools are places where teachers teach and children learn. No one has found any method to teach anyone with IQ’s that low. The U.S. military will not even allow people with IQ’s that low to enlist. Remove the cognitive disability from the problem and replace it with a violent child that repeatedly beats other children and disturbs class. His parents may pay taxes but he has no business being in school either. Completely remove the school from the scenario. We all pay taxes for things that we receive no benefit. In fact, the vast majority of government spending most people receive no benefit.

As for spending money on education in general, the federal government has no constitutional power to do anything with education. It squarely falls under the 10th Amendment. There are states that have constitutions and laws that inject government into education. Personally, I do not want any level of government involved in education. I chose to homeschool my children to avoid government. Not only did I pay property taxes for other’s education, I paid to homeschool. It’s not words to me. It was action.

As for college, IQ’s and SATs, these are are only tools to roughly determine academic success. High school GPA’s and subject exams are better indicators of academic success. Many factors should be considered. I am an advocate of very high standards, but that doesn’t mean that there cannot be colleges with low standards. But, that comes with consequences.

If a new college graduate applied for a job at my company (retired now) with a degree from Cheney, Lincoln, Del State or any other non competitive college in the area, they would be immediately turned down for an interview. That’s simply based on making a decision to go to a non competitive college when there are comparably priced educations of much better quality. It’s not worth the time and money to interview someone with low standards. It wasn’t a fit for my business.

Credentialism is a major problem in America. Education institutions at nearly all levels graduate incompetents and have grade inflation. There is also a major push for every child to go to college. That neglects other very needed avenues to prepare people for careers that do not require an academic education. Additionally, colleges have invented junk studies majors to accommodate idiots. That doesn’t prepare those people graduating with a studies degree and it increases the tuition costs for students in majors that actually lead to being a productive citizen.

[Tired of Taxes]

You wrote: "I chose to homeschool my children to avoid government. Not only did I pay property taxes for other’s education, I paid to homeschool. It’s not words to me. It was action."

So did I, and I paid a fortune in school taxes (hence, my screenname) for a school system my children never attended. However, all my neighbors paid a fortune, too, so I understood why other parents sent their children to public school.

You wrote: "Bull crap. They are not capable of learning. Schools are places where teachers teach and children learn. No one has found any method to teach anyone with IQ’s that low."

Are you saying the children with intellectual disabilities (for example, Downs Syndrome) and learning disabilities aren't worth an educational program? You think public schools should educate only children who score above a certain number on an IQ test? People with disabilities hold jobs, too. If anyone needs an education, they do. The students without learning disabilities are the ones who don't need a public school education. As a homeschool parent, you know they can learn on their own. Once a student can read, he can pretty much teach himself and then start college early.

You wrote: "...a violent child that repeatedly beats other children and disturbs class. His parents may pay taxes but he has no business being in school either."

Agreed. A student who terrorizes other students or staff members should not be in a school with other students, no matter what his academic record shows or how much his parents pay in taxes.

You wrote: "Personally, I do not want any level of government involved in education."

Then, you should be in favor of cutting public school spending to the bare minimum so that private schools can compete. Public school is supposed to be a form of WELFARE. It should offer a basic education and nothing more. Instead, too many parents today expect public school to raise and educate their children to advanced levels.

If public school spending (and school taxes) were cut drastically, more parents would look to the free market for a more advanced education. Then, they would be free to choose (and pay for) the private schools they prefer. The free market would offer more options.

You wrote: "If a new college graduate applied for a job at my company (retired now) with a degree from Cheney, Lincoln, Del State or any other non competitive college in the area, they would be immediately turned down for an interview. That’s simply based on making a decision to go to a non competitive college when there are comparably priced educations of much better quality."

Well, everyone has a preference. Your company preferred graduates from colleges with low acceptance rates, like Harvard and Yale, I guess.

Community colleges have a 100% acceptance rate, and I know many people who took that route. Most of them transferred to universities for junior and senior years. They were smart because they saved money, and they're all doing well in life.