Ok - Where to begin

I am mad - no really incensed, infuriated, angry, (thesaurus anyone)....and here is why.

Last night they had a meeting for parents who are accelerating their kids in math. This means that the child would skip 8th grade math and move right into 9th grade algebra. There are four criteria for doing this - the state WKCE test scores, the score on a test that all 7th graders took that indicated their ability to learn advanced math, their current grades and their work ethic. Based on these factors, the parents were to maket the decision.

So last night,the math teachers from middle school to high school held a meeting of these parents to go over the accelerated math program. Now remember, these kids are the best and brightest out of the 7th grade.  There were around 60 people in the room. The math teachers talked for an hour on why this is not a good idea, because when the kids get into high school, they want to do sports and acitvities. And math is hard, They don't want to "study". They start with about 100 accelerated students and 20 make it.  (see a problem here people - I don't think it is the student) As parents, we should understand this. Also, our child might want to be a music major or a elementary school teacher where apparently math isn't important.

Then they brought out a student to represent the normal accelerated student. She goes on and on about how she really wants to swim. She doesn't study, she fails the exams and cheats off of her friends. She also talked about how the teachers don't make students hand in any problems. I am getting angrier and angrier. A former school board person sitting next to me is thinking this is really funny. I told her I didn't think it was funny at all.  I think she got the message.

So most parents walked out of the meeting not understanding the point of the meeting. Two parents I know walked out of the meeting in the middle.   I am now in a condundrum on what to do next.  Andy will be accelerated - I believe in academics and working hard.  However, I don't want him to continually hear this message of "don't work so hard" - "join the yearbook committee" etc. Also - if 80% of the brightest students aren't being successful, maybe they should look into how things are taught. Really, a school the size of Lincoln can't get more than 20 kids through advanced math as seniors? Am I the only one seeing this as a problem? 

And clearly I see the problem because their students become my students....where they don't know how to divide a ratio, do formulas or decimals.  I get why our students can't do simple math......