Parents vs progressives
The state of Virginia has proposed to cancel advanced math options for students before eleventh grade to improve equity. The proposal will remove geometry and calculus as requirements and some students say this could leave them feeling unprepared for whatever the future holds. For those who may not know, the word "equity" is now a form of newspeak. It's meaning has been altered to mean an equalization of results. Parents in the affluent region comprising northern Virginia know this. Many of them happen to be liberals. One thing they are not going to sacrifice is the education of their children. Not for any cause!
"[A]s currently planned, this initiative will eliminate ALL math acceleration prior to 11th grade," he said. "That is not an exaggeration, nor does there appear to be any discretion in how local districts implement this. All 6th graders will take Foundational Concepts 6. All 7th graders will take Foundational Concepts 7. All 10th graders will take Essential Concepts 10. Only in 11th and 12th grade is there any opportunity for choice in higher math courses."
Former Trump official and Loudoun parent Ian Prior said this effort will "stifle advancement for gifted students and set them back as they prepare for advanced mathematics in college. This is critical race theory in action and parents should be outraged."
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2021/04/23/virginia-schools--advanced-math-n2588441
Fortunately, (can we claim victory yet?) the Virginia Education Department appears to be backpedaling now, after announcing plans to overhaul the state's math curriculum, the department's website has been refomented to de-emphasize it's focus on "equity" education after they had made it the centerpiece of their initial plan. VED spokesperson James Lane claims that nothing is final, yet despite that less than reassuring comment, the specific item described as "improve equity in mathematics learning opportunities" is still listed on the VED website.
So is the VED really listening to parents or are they giving them a little false hope as they push through this initiative?
One final question: Would this really give black and brown students a necessary leg up, or would barring students from taking accelerated courses will have the opposite effect?
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I submit: the battle for our children in the era of the left.
Trump and his supporters are off topic
I am off topic.
What 'battle for our children in the era of the left'?
What does that mean?
It makes no sense.
It means this:
What does this mean? 'Parents versus progressives'?
Did you just make that up?
Progressives want what's best for all, not just some.
As usual the best/funniest part of your seeds is reading the comment sections within them. There was a 'great' section of a dozen or so posts as to who would hit the ground first after falling off a building, the black kid or the white kid ... and the winner was ... ?
Mental Health professionals are recognizing that "being off TOPIC is healthy."
I suppose it's better than hurling Molotov cocktails. Good for them.
Without doing any research on this my first thoughts are (remembering my own high school years) some of the math they tried to teach me was over my head. I never did get algebra and still don't.
That said IMO: I don't think that a high school education should demand that every student learn everything every other student learns. If that is inequality well ... I don't believe every human is the same in every aspect. I know I can not do everything that many other humans can do nor am I as smart as some other humans are. I am not their equal in some areas.
IMO: Not everyone can learn everything. Having and expecting a reasonable average of what we know and expect the students to learn and understand to get grades and graduate seems reasonable and very worth while.
However, expecting everyone to learn everything is unrealistic. How I graduated without understanding a damn thing about algebra I don't know and don't care. But, if not understanding algebra would have kept me from getting a highschool diploma I would not have had the opportunities I have had to support myself all my life and may have ended up needing government help.
Again, However, Providing an opportunity in schools for more than the average capabilities of the average student as options to the required curriculum is also well worthwhile as well.
We need people smarter than I am... lol
IMO: This is not a one size fits all world.
Damn right Steve! Good thoughts!
Thank you Tessylo
Agreed. I don't expect every student to be able to grasp something like calc, god knows it wasn't exactly easy for me, but that does not mean we should deny others the opportunity. Frankly if you are smart enough you should be in classes that reflect that regardless of age or grade.
Same here Steve.
Math is hard, and that's the point. It forces people to think.
What does this stupid cartoon have to do with anything?
What does it mean?
What do you think it means?
I'd say that cartoon conveys the issue here perfectly.
The cartoon is indeed stupid because it does not accurately portray the difference between equality and equity and is apparently claiming that CRT (critical race theory) is somehow creating a hole from which those who already have an advantage must start from.
" Critical race theory (CRT) , intellectual movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of color. Critical race theorists hold that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans ."
Equity vs. Equality
Equity is defined as “the state, quality or ideal of being just, impartial and fair.” The concept of equity is synonymous with fairness and justice. Equity involves trying to understand and give people what they need to enjoy full, healthy lives. Equality, in contrast, aims to ensure that everyone gets the same things in order to enjoy full, healthy lives. Like equity, equality aims to promote fairness and justice, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same things.
What the cartoon is trying to apparently claim is that under "equality" that means no special treatment for anyone and the fact that some have an advantage (in this case height advantage) like being born with a silver spoon, family wealth, connections, location advantages etc., should be ignored and accepted and shouldn't mean others should get any sort of additional help (i.e. affirmative action) to help them get to the same "view". The dumb ass who drew the cartoon is claiming, as many morons on the right do, that by giving preferential treatment to create equity then everybody somehow loses and no one gets a view. This is obviously ridiculous. Just because some who aren't born with the privileges afforded many white Americans, helping them get a spot in a University or college or making room for them in the job markets even though traditionally those college spots and jobs almost always went to those with a head start such as being white, from a wealthy family with connections and living in an elite place with every opportunity afforded them, it doesn't in any way slap the silver spoons out of their mouths or dig them into a hole they're unable to get out of.
If a University has room for 1000 students, equity is reserving a percentage of those for minorities that have been traditionally discriminated against, often the same percent that the minority makes up of the general population, so for black students it would be something like 140 spots or 14% of the 1000. So there are still 860 spots available for the wealthy privileged white kids, but if you're one of the parents of the 140 white kids who didn't get in because of the affirmative action then you feel as if something has been stolen from you. Of course, they only feel that way because they've always lived lives of privilege and feel entitled to those spots and anyone just handing them to underprivileged students to create "equity", well "equity" becomes a bad word and the bitter bigots who felt they were entitled to those spots draw stupid cartoons like the one above.
The reality of what should be depicted in the cartoon for "equality" is the white kid standing on three boxes and the other two minority kids standing in holes because that's a better representation of the starting point. Black Americans were denied the ability to build or create equity for hundreds of years, so when supposed "equality" came along in the form of the civil rights act and voting rights act, they were far behind their fellow white Americans in education, wealth and employment so just saying "Okay, now that we banned the discrimination all is equal now" is beyond ignorant. And the fact is that a lot of that white wealth (home ownership, financial legacies, educational legacies etc.) were literally built on the backs of slave labor or discriminatory labor practices for the previous 400 years. It will take a lot longer than just 60 years to overcome such inequity, but for some bitter bigots they will never accept that black Americans are worth the hand up and will continue to fight to keep them down claiming if they don't get a hand up as well then it's reverse racism. What they fail to recognize is the fact that for the preceding 400 years of American society we had effectively white affirmative action where they were the only ones allowed to go to most Universities and were the only ones allowed to work in certain jobs or get loans or live in certain areas.
boy, oh boy. now you'll have to explain that!
lmao!
Holy shit, we agree on something! Finally a cartoon worth looking at.
I am all about equal opportunity but fuck the idea of equal outcomes.
I notice that the children's heights didn't start out equal neither do children's ability to master subjects not everyone needs or can do advanced math and for those who try and can't understand it are they to be left behind ?
Offer options for advanced classes but don't require advanced math for graduating !
Did you notice that no one can now "see over the fence" due to lowered standards.
Branco gave the message brilliantly on this one
Of Course but the non reality starts where everyone can see over the fence. That is not true.
As I stated before we are actually not all equal to begin with.
IMO: Advanced classes should be offered to everyone but required by no one and advanced classes should not be a requirement for a diploma.
Not everyone's a genius. But those that are can learn more that those who are not. Focus on the students that can handle the advanced classes and they will probably go even further without students that can't handle the advanced classes in the way.
I went back to a community college not long ago . It was easy to see who got it and those who just were along for the ride. Some of those that didn't get it did little more for the rest except to disrupt the class anyway.
I am pretty observant , I looked some of the ones not caring and not getting it were not paying for their own education either. A big reason I am against free college.
Yet another step along the path to the dumbing down of America. It's no wonder so many Americans believe in conspiracy theories and obviously fake news. When we were teenagers in high school, during summer vacation we would mix with the students from Buffalo at Crystal Beach, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie just west of the Niagara River that is the border between Canada and the USA. It was incredible for us to hear the American students bitch about the fact that they only got 97 or 98 on their final exams when others got the gold star mark of 100%, when we Canadians had to struggle to get a 75% honours grade. That was my first lesson in the quality of American education. In our final year of high school it was necessary to pass 9 subjects - English literature, French, HIstory, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and a chosen option. Calculus was a 1st year university subject, We had a standing joke back then that you could take a course in Basket Weaving at the University of Miami, but what isn't a joke is what Bill Mahar said about courses taught NOW in America: "'The Philosophy of Star Trek,'The Sociology of Seinfeld,' and 'Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse'. Now THAT should tell you something.
I got an F in Sociology of Seinfeld ... the zombies ate my homework.
What dumbing down of America?
Foundational Concepts??? Essential Concepts??? 'The Philosophy of Star Trek,'The Sociology of Seinfeld,' and 'Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse', and in my opinion, Affirmative Action. Sports scholarships that take the seats from brilliant creative students.
I disagree. I'm moving on.
Why are you typing everything in a larger font and in bold?
It/s not bold, it's standard 14 pt, one up from the standard 12 pt you use. I use 14 pt so that I can read over clearly what I have typed, since I'm 84 years old and happen to be losing my vision and it's difficult for me to read the 12 pt font and sometimes have to use a magnifying glass. I apologize if it's inconvenient for you.
Sorry. I'm in a petty mood this morning. You can ignore me if you like.
Apology accepted. I don't ignore my friends.
"Former Trump official and Loudoun parent Ian Prior said this effort will "stifle advancement for gifted students and set them back as they prepare for advanced mathematics in college. This is critical race theory in action and parents should be outraged."
So what? Who is he?
What does this mean?
'Critical race theory' is the latest hammer in the Trumpanista toolbox, it makes everything they don't like look like a nail. Don't fret about it, they don't even like themselves.
Like woke, and cancel culture, and social justice warrior - all made up shit?
While I am not sure what the critical race thing has to do with anything, I definitely think it is fucking stupid to hold back the smartest of us. I don't want the smart kids to have to do easy shit, all that does is send them the message that they don't really have to try or put forward much effort. If they are smart enough to do calculus as a freshman then let them.
Parents in the affluent region comprising northern Virginia know this. Many of them happen to be liberals. One thing they are not going to sacrifice is the education of their children. Not for any cause!
Know what? What difference does it make if many of them 'happen to be liberals'?
What does that mean and what does it have to do with it?
If they're so affluent, why don't they send them to private schools?
Like that moronic private school in Floriduh where anyone who has been vaccinated against Co-Vid can't teach there. No masks. No nothing. What absolute moron would send their kids to that school?
parents who don't really want kids maybe ?
Good for parents sticking up for their kids.
More insanity. Penalizing smarter kids in the name of racism.
What is all this LOCKED on this thread about ?
Makes no sense.
I was wondering the same thing.
That is fucking dumb. If a kid is smart enough to take trig or calc as a freshman then let them. I had finished all my required math classes for graduation by the end of my sophomore year (geometry, algebra 2, trig, and calc). When I was in 6th grade there was one kid who was taking his math classes at the local community college because that was the only place that offered the courses at the level he was at. Don't punish smart kids so dumb kids don't feel as dumb. If anything they should be pouring more resources into nurturing the best among us.
Although, I'm with Steve on this one... don't force those of us that really don't get it to be required to take it to graduate either. I've always been an advocate for helping kids advance their talents; while that's usually not realized until HS, I was pretty good at honing in on my kids' talents a bit earlier, then again, I pay attention.
Neither of my kids are math whizzes. My daughter is a wonderful artist [drawing, painting, piano [self-taught], guitar [self-taught], and any wind instruments], but she is really good at welding, creatively repurposing things / redesigning, using a CNC, minor coding, and thrives in an organized chaotic environment... so she took machine shop and is planning on going to school for HVAC.
My son... we haven't completely figured him out yet. He's at the age that he's full of testosterone, piss and vinegar (almost 13 and going through puberty) and only wants to play video games, but he's passing his classes. While he says he doesn't understand several things... I suspect sometimes that he's trying to get others to do his work for him. I think most kids go through a phase like that in some way. I know I did.
My son is really good at deductive reasoning though. He loved doing the criminal investigation project in Boy Scouts. There's a class geared toward those things in our district, so that may be something that he gets into, detective / criminal investigating. He even loves watching CSI, NCIS, and Law & Order SVU with me. He loves playing Clue and he's really good at it. He loves playing chess, he's okay at it, especially for his age. So, strategy and deductive reasoning are his strong suits.
Point is though... for HVAC and Criminal Investigation, there's no need for calculus or trigonometry; hell, I don't see a need for algebra for either of those really. Geometry is needed in both though.