Algebra in 9th grade??? I'm pretty sure we were doing basics of algebra in 6th, at most 7th grade in bumfuck nowhere western PA (graduated 2012).
'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
271–280 of 510 posts
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#272Earlier quoted context omitted.
> in the name of equity That's the problem. We're dealing with the critical theory definition of equity, which they define as the intentional redistribution of opportunity and resources along identity group lines to correct for present and historical injustices, as well as opportunities those groups have already had. Critical theory and social justice adopts a distorted view of reality. Leave it to a school in San Fr…
It must suck to be poor but not belong to any one the correct identity groups nowadays. I am lucky I was born way before that, or I would never have be able to leave poverty.
Maybe the trick is to remove poverty, it's not hard to do
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#273Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're not going to improve the lives of impoverished children by lowering the bar. It's absurd. The best solution I can think of is to pay children to succeed in academics or extracurriculars (STEM, clubs, sports, arts, etc.) A student wouldn't have to be gifted in math, just apply themselves to some interest that drives them. Give them a score-based percentage of $200/mo for hitting certain criteria each month. Pla…
> You're not going to improve the lives of impoverished children by lowering the bar. It's absurd. As a poor kid in Seattle, I am now no longer poor because of a high bar. In my high school (West Seattle High School!) we edited DNA. We spliced DNA, inserted a gene, closed it up, and made bacteria change color. It was awesome. > The best solution I can think of is to pay children to succeed in academics or extracurric…
Extrinsic motivation works, for a decent percentage of people, as long as the reward keeps comming.
Therefore it would probably need to be coupled with more vocational training/ apprenticeships/ internships to ease passage into the adult world of extrinsic motivations.
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#274> "Families with resources turn to fee-required online algebra 1 courses in eighth grade, outside the public school system, or enroll their kids in private schools," Isn't this obvious result? The Russian School of Mathematics could manage to teach 10-year old kids basic algebra. And there's AOPS, there's Think Academy, and slew of local tutoring schools who can teach kids relatively advanced maths. Let alone many pr…
I think the idea is that if it’s important to rich parents, they will grudgingly fund education for everyone. But as long as they have these outlets where they can just educate their own kids and leave everyone else behind, they will.
> But as long as they have these outlets where they can just educate their own kids and leave everyone else behind, they will.
Education is a collective action problem. Parents care more about their own child's education than the education of other children. This should not be surprising, and it cannot be changed.
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#275Earlier quoted context omitted.
> That's a much worse outcome from an equity lens Bingo, that is the issue, everybody is worried about equity. You can't have it, we need meritocracy, equity is just cruel and unusual punishment to future. It is a recipe for driving society to the lowest common denominator. You should demand proper education or your money back. (Side note, this is what we will get 10x with free college, and the guaranteed loans have…
> this is what we will get 10x with free college That seems quite different. First, lots of countries have free higher education and seem to do just fine. Second, lowering price of entry is orthogonal to lowering expected performance. Your argument does not apply.
Some countries even pay students to attend their highest ranking engineering schools.
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#276Earlier quoted context omitted.
> That's a much worse outcome from an equity lens Bingo, that is the issue, everybody is worried about equity. You can't have it, we need meritocracy, equity is just cruel and unusual punishment to future. It is a recipe for driving society to the lowest common denominator. You should demand proper education or your money back. (Side note, this is what we will get 10x with free college, and the guaranteed loans have…
Making tertiary education free doesn’t mean you lower your standards like they have done here.
If anything free education allows you to raise your standards. The group of applicants who are academically qualified should be strictly larger than the group that's both academically qualified and willing to pay tuition. With a larger pool of qualified applicants you can afford to reject more of them.
(Caveat: This doesn't work if the point of your university is mostly to signal that its graduates came from a family wealthy enough to send them to your university.)
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#277Earlier quoted context omitted.
> You're not going to improve the lives of impoverished children by lowering the bar. It's absurd. As a poor kid in Seattle, I am now no longer poor because of a high bar. In my high school (West Seattle High School!) we edited DNA. We spliced DNA, inserted a gene, closed it up, and made bacteria change color. It was awesome. > The best solution I can think of is to pay children to succeed in academics or extracurric…
Extrinsic motivation works, for a decent percentage of people, as long as the reward keeps comming. Therefore it would probably need to be coupled with more vocational training/ apprenticeships/ internships to ease passage into the adult world of extrinsic motivations.
> Extrinsic motivation works, for a decent percentage of people, as long as the reward keeps comming.
Therein lines the problem.
Pay people enough $ and they'll go to the gym and get in shape, but once the $ stops they'll almost universally stop going.
Take people who have a regular gym habit, start paying them, stop paying them and most of them will stop going to the gym, adding in the extrinsic motivation will actually destroy the intrinsic motivation (and pleasure!) they once had around the activity.
With enough extrinsic only motivators, people stop feeling any actual joy in life, everything becomes a fight for an external reward.
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#278Earlier quoted context omitted.
Test scores?
Test scores aren't decision making agents. Are you thinking of a person?
You're being intentionally obtuse. If you have the capacity to have an accelerated program for 1,000 students in a district, then you rank by test scores and bring in the top 1,000.
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#279I have no insight into SF school politics beyond things like this and Lowell High School. Who's voting for the school board members that are driving this?
Mostly childless adults. Sf has more dogs than children.
It is a bit strange. Having kids enrolled in SFUSD schools should be a prerequisite for being able to vote (or run) for school board elections IMO.
Re: 'Algebra for none' fails in San Francisco
#280I have no insight into SF school politics beyond things like this and Lowell High School. Who's voting for the school board members that are driving this?
Mostly childless adults. Sf has more dogs than children.
In case anyone is curious, the United States as a whole has more dogs than children.