Ready? Okay.
Some loving parents in my little town are trying to do right by their children by fighting for a geometry option for advanced 8th grade math students, and the mean old school district is standing in their way. The school district says they don't want to promote a fast-track, get-ahead-at-all-costs mentality. Right on, says I. But I'll bet the school district also thinks that it will cost money to write the extra-advanced curriculum, and it will be a pain to schedule--but they're not going to say that on record, are they?
I'm not sure where I stand on this. I think that my community pushes kids a little too forcefully, academically. The definition of success here is pretty narrow: A's in school, lots of sports, top tier college admission, high-paying job. On the other hand, I kind of think sure, why not offer geometry in 8th grade to kids who are ready, with the caveat that they must really want to take it? Although who are we kidding--the kids will want to if their parents want them to want to. Following me?
But. The parents' and one trustee's arguments, quoted below, make me a teeny tiny bit sick:
"The Los Altos School District keeps its students doing warmups while the [Mountain View] Whisman and Cupertino students are running full speed. In a four lap race, the Los Altos School District students enter the race a full lap behind."
--Don Hana, parent
On the same theme:
"We need to get competitive or we will get left behind."
--Mark Goines, trustee
Um, first of all, I wasn't aware that high school (math) was a four lap race that kids should run at full speed. Are we talking about that infamous race to...nowhere? (Oh, how I love the irony.) God forbid Los Altos kids should get anywhere after kids from ghetto Mountain View. Some of those Mountain View families don't even own their own homes, for crying out loud.And left behind? Left behind by whom? We're talking about students who already have an enormous head start. We're talking about kids from one of the wealthiest zip codes in the country. In fact, Los Altos Hills zoning laws require a minimum lot size of one acre per single family home in order to "preserve the rural atmosphere of the town". Which to me feels boooo-gus because what is rural about a town full of multi-million dollar mansions? All right, maybe it's to allow people to keep horses. But if you ask me, it's really to keep out the riff-raff. (Don't get me wrong--I have nothing against Los Altos Hills. In fact, some of my best friends live in Los Altos Hills.)
But I digress. My point: lots of money here. Big head start. Also lots of Ivy League, Stanford, and UC alums. Lots of connections. And let me tell you, being a well-connected legacy is a much more reliable asset on your college app than having taken BC instead of AB Calculus.
Back to the board meeting. Here's my favorite quote:
"Our children want to be successful...We need to offer this starting in the fall because--"
Wait for it...
wait...
wait...
okay.
"their lives are at stake."
--Premika Ratnam, parent
What? I mean, what?!
This could destroy my son's chances of getting into Princeton, and if he has to go to some awful school like Cal State, he'll never get his MBA at Harvard and his life will be ruined and it will be all your fault, Los Altos School District! Rivers of blood will run, rivers of Ivy League rejected blood, and if you want to stand by and let it happen, Los Altos School District, then on your head be it.
Okay. Breathing. Breathing.
To be fair, it's the reporter's job to choose the awesomest crazies to quote, so maybe there were only just those two insane parents and one toadying trustee at the meeting, and maybe everyone else who wants geometry for 8th graders is more reasonable.
Sigh.
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| What will happen if the poor child who lives in this Los Altos Hills home doesn't get to take geometry in eighth grade? Will you be able to live with yourself? Photo courtesy of Forbes.com article "Top 25 Places to Retire Rich." |
Read the Los Altos Town Crier article here.
They should visit this neighborhood. There are kids who get two of three meals at school. Have they seen the food? Taco meat on a bun, soggy... The school events, fundraisers, lunches etc are not even, ugh, there is no comparison. If my neighbors or own kids for that matter, do not understand the algebra, they can ask for help at lunch but they do not have tutors. The parents are the cleaners of homes and office buildings, men who mow lawns, moms who work fast food at night.....I can say though that the birthday parties in the parking lots with BBQs, families and friends, seem to keep people together. They really value their Sundays when they visit, celebrate etc.
ReplyDeleteNobody is forcing anyone to take Geometry! But for those who do.. it should not be considered something elitist. Those who are not into math.. should not be held back by others who are stuck in the past . Streamlining kids by the district and dumbing down kids so that the smartest kids are tested in lower math categories for high AP scores is a good strategy by the district for themselves but not for kids who are bored in math classes.
ReplyDeleteShowing a house with a pool in Los Altos Hills shows how little you understand about people who have a passion for their subjects. Movie stars, mafia types, farmers and businessmen with an eighth grade education have bought houses in Los Altos hills and more expensive neighborhoods..just as much as venture capitalists.Owning property and a passion for science are two separate entities.
Sigh
Nobody is forcing anyone to take Geometry! But for those who do.. it should not be considered something elitist. Those who are not into math.. should not be held back by others who are stuck in the past . Streamlining kids by the district and dumbing down kids so that the smartest kids are tested in lower math categories for high AP scores is a good strategy by the district for themselves but not for kids who are bored in math classes.
ReplyDeleteThe sad part is that now they handpick the students. In fact teachers are not able to gauge who is good in math - hate to say this...what is being tested is a very small fraction of what is being taught. Dont know if this makes sense to you but too much emphasis is placed on accuracy of small calculations which can be easily improved. Just like someone who understands where to put punctuation marks correctly is not automatically a good writer or poet. At this level.. 8th grade.. those who have a passion and can maintain a B average should be allowed to challenge themselves. People have a wrong attitude about science and who is smart!
Showing a house with a pool in Los Altos Hills shows how little you understand about people who have a passion for their subjects. Movie stars, mafia types, farmers and businessmen with an eighth grade education have bought houses in Los Altos hills and more expensive neighborhoods..just as much as venture capitalists.Owning property and a passion for science are two separate entities.
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I absolutely agree that kids who are ready--who can handle the challenge--and who really, really want to because they love the subject--should be allowed to take as much advanced math (or whatever they like) that they can handle. What I dislike is that very often, kids get pushed into those classes by parents.
DeleteAnd I definitely don't like the entitled and hysteric tone that the parents take. You're right--I show the photo of the mansion to prove a point that has nothing to do with giving all passionate kids a chance to develop their passions. Well, it does a little. Plenty of passionate kids don't have parents wealthy enough to give the those chances. The kid who lives in that mansion does, with the possible exception of Geometry in 8th grade (which is now actually in place at both LA junior highs, anyway). In fact, that is one of the issues I have with the people in the article--just because a kid is wealthy doesn't mean he's automatically going to be brilliant at math, and doesn't mean that he "deserves" to be in a higher math class than less wealthy kids. He might be brilliant at plenty of other things--he doesn't have to "keep up" with the most advanced math students in the state.
The parents I quoted sound like they are worried that NOT taking BC Calculus will somehow ruin their children's chances to succeed in life--what an incredibly myopic point of view. I very seriously doubt that a child who lives in a mansion like the one pictured will suffer great harm if he doesn't take BC Calc in high school. Studies show he or she is far more likely to end up highly educated and well-paid than most of the rest of the nation, even if he "only" takes AB Calc or even (gasp) AP Stats. It's not whether kids "deserve" to take classes that will inspire and challenge them--of course they do. It's about the world-blind attitude of some wealthy parents that one such opportunity missed--one amid the myriad of amazing opportunities these children already have that most children don't--will somehow scar their children for life.