The foolish idea that teaching kids less math will advance "equity" has spread from California, which has adopted watered-down guidelines that call for delaying algebra, writes Noah Smith. "Cambridge, Massachusetts recently removed algebra and all advanced math from its junior high schools," also citing "equity."
"Progressive" educators will never admit they believe some students just aren't smart enough to learn algebra, Smith writes. But it's "impossible to avoid the conclusion that the idea is to make all kids equal by making them equally unable to learn."
People in the average IQ band or higher can learn algebra. Those who are well below average perhaps are unable to understand algebra's abstractions--but we in the schools shouldn't toss them aside as unteachable. We should teach them something different, and not pretend we're preparing them to attend a university.
Bringing everyone down to the lowest level is the end result of "equity". We should do better than that.
Update: While I was gone, California approved its controversial math framework that helps ensure a race to the bottom:
The California State Board of Education voted to adopt a new—and much-debated—math framework on Wednesday, concluding a years-long process that involved three drafts, prompted hundreds of suggested revisions, and reignited decades-old arguments over the purpose of math education and the meaning of equity.
The 1,000-page framework aims to put meaning-making at the center of the math classroom, promoting a focus on problem-solving and applying math knowledge to real-world situations. It also encourages teachers to make math culturally relevant and accessible for all students, especially students of color who have been traditionally marginalized in the subject.
“The United States has not been teaching math effectively or equitably. We are one of the lower-achieving countries … and California is below the national average in its achievement in mathematics,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, the president of the California State Board of Education, during the board’s meeting on Wednesday. “This is an area of great need, and change is imperative. The same old, same old will not get us to a new place.”
Here are all my posts referencing Darling-Hammond, stretching back almost 15 years.
Should you ever wonder why I question if I'll make it 4 more years till retirement, this is why.
Update #2: More:
One crucial section of the framework emphasizes teaching “for equity and engagement” and encourages math educators to adopt a perspective of “teaching toward social justice.” The CDE and SBE suggest that cultivating “culturally responsive” lessons, which highlight the contributions of historically marginalized individuals to mathematics, can help accomplish this goal. The guidance further advocates for avoiding a single-minded focus on one way of thinking or one correct answer.
Critics argue that the proposed framework does not prioritize academic achievement. Angela Morabito, a spokesperson for the Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI), stated, “Despite what the proponents of this plan might say, it’s not really designed to boost academic achievement. It’s designed to further a progressive goal that exists in the minds of adults… The math framework really does show misplaced priorities.”
The CDE and SBE acknowledge that math proficiency has been waning across the state, with less than one third of students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations during the 2021-22 academic year. Data provided by the departments reveals widening achievement gaps, with math proficiency among Black students more than 30 percentage points below that of their White counterparts.
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