There's a rash of school districts in California claiming ignorance of a law requiring that their graduates not be ignorant of algebra:
Since the State Board of Education granted Santa Cruz a waiver earlier this year exempting it from the law requiring high school students to complete one year of algebra, about 200 other districts statewide have scrambled to make the same request. The fate of about 13,000 students, or 4% of the state's senior class, was at stake...
Some of the other 200 districts that have since sought waivers have claimed ignorance of the law, like Santa Cruz, while others say low-performing students who struggle with algebra's abstract concepts deserve to be excused.
The state board has reluctantly agreed to approve the waivers this year and has ruled out future blanket approvals. Regardless, the rash of requests for exemptions has frustrated lawmakers and education officials who see the math requirement as vital to raising educational standards in California.
"I wonder what they all would have done if Santa Cruz, a district that completely failed in its obligation to its kids, hadn't cleared the way," said state Sen. Charles Poochigian (R-Fresno), who wrote the law requiring algebra. "It's really shameful."
Nice to see that Senator Poochigian doesn't mince words (with a last name like that, he was probably forced pretty early to learn toughness). It's true the law does not exempt anyone from taking algebra, and some educators are concerned about the special education students. The lines appear to be drawn against those claiming compassion, and those claiming that high standards will help everyone do better:
Poochigian and his supporters argue that the law is vital to raising the state's educational standards, to closing performance gaps between minority students and their white peers and to preparing students for college and the workplace...
But many of the 200 districts seeking waivers knew about the law and tried to expand their math programs to teach algebra to the relatively small number of students who weren't already on pace to fulfill or exceed the new requirement. They developed slower-paced classes that spanned two years, reduced class sizes and increased tutoring while letting their students know that their diplomas hung in the balance.
Nonetheless, at the start of the school year, teachers and administrators were still confronted with a core of seniors who had yet to pass algebra...
Poochigian accused critics of the law of exploiting special-education students and "using them as a rationale to undermine the drive to raise overall standards because they are either incapable or oblivious."
But some teachers and local school officials questioned the idea that all students are able, or need, to pass algebra.
I have an earlier post on the topic here.
Posted by kswygert at April 28, 2004 04:41 PM