Maybe there is a kind of educational system where middle school alg is a good idea. But our system is not that kind of system. If you live/vote in SF please support evidence-based practices and common sense. <3
Indeed, your system is not that kind of system. On the other side of the Pacific, Asian kids are routinely prepared for algebra by 7th grade, and their scores on international math tests in later years lead the world. That's Asian "common sense".
One can't help wondering why it is that their cousins, the Asian kids in the SFUSD, are so poorly prepared for algebra even by the 8th grade. The fact that San Francisco-style "common sense" decides that the solution is to declare that even those who are prepared will no longer be allowed to take algebra until high school says a lot about the fraught relationship between San Francisco and common sense.
Non-SF common sense might conclude instead that the fix should involve making elementary school better rather than making middle school slow down to match the failing elementary schools. Maybe expand your "evidence-based" thinking beyond your own failing districts and look at statistics and practices from the rest of the world. What is it that Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, ML China, Korea, and Japan do with primary-age Asian kids that your SFUSD doesn't do with its Asian kids? Why not start with that?
My original comment was really focused on my narrow read of the question in the thread title. My comment is basically "because there is clear A/B test data to support the decision".
I take your comment as a valid answer to a broader question -- something like "thinking about the bigger picture, and envisioning all possibilities, how could and should SFUSD work?" I have a lot of thoughts on that too.
But if I take your comment as a direct rebuttal, on my same topic, I think it's an impractical way to manage the system. It's like you're arguing that middle school alg is a cool feature that shouldn't cause the app to fall over, and we should redeploy the cool feature and reengineer everything. I don't agree that your conclusions flow from your premises and I think the pragmatic approach (given your premises) is to disable the feature while we do the reengineering.
"What is it that ... do with primary-age Asian kids that your SFUSD doesn't do with its Asian kids? Why not start with that?"
Because that's culture. That's respect and reverence for education and teachers. And then there's the after-school and weekend tutoring.
There's always this discussion in comparison with Finland, as well, which takes a very different approach to education than China. Yep, again culture. A commitment to children. In Finland, a commitment to funding schools and social services as a society.
It's way easier to mandate a change in the curriculum. As a mathematics educator in the US, I'll make this claim: the curriculum is almost irrelevant. It's the teachers and the attitude of society toward education that matters the most. If teachers are good & have the freedom and training to teach, they'll adjust the curriculum, whatever it may be.
The average salary for primary education teachers with 15 years experience in Finland is about $37,500, compared to $45,225 in the United States.
SFUSD starting salary for a teacher with no experience is $52,657, average salary is $69,572, $90,000+ compensation is not uncommon. That salary does not exist for teachers in Finland.
Finland does require all teachers to have Masters degrees though. Teachers are also allowed a great deal of autonomy and trust in designing their curriculum and teaching approaches.
Indeed, your system is not that kind of system. On the other side of the Pacific, Asian kids are routinely prepared for algebra by 7th grade, and their scores on international math tests in later years lead the world. That's Asian "common sense".
One can't help wondering why it is that their cousins, the Asian kids in the SFUSD, are so poorly prepared for algebra even by the 8th grade. The fact that San Francisco-style "common sense" decides that the solution is to declare that even those who are prepared will no longer be allowed to take algebra until high school says a lot about the fraught relationship between San Francisco and common sense.
Non-SF common sense might conclude instead that the fix should involve making elementary school better rather than making middle school slow down to match the failing elementary schools. Maybe expand your "evidence-based" thinking beyond your own failing districts and look at statistics and practices from the rest of the world. What is it that Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, ML China, Korea, and Japan do with primary-age Asian kids that your SFUSD doesn't do with its Asian kids? Why not start with that?