加州夏天
在海外的经历每个人都不同，从我的眼睛看这个世界，最真诚的呈现给你。
反对学区取消数学快班（accelerated math path in Pleasanton Unified School District）的行动已经持续了20多天。数学快班的问题悄然成为这个小城的话题。与上一个活动相比，整个行动的影响力大大增加。参与的家长就是这样一步一步边学习边进步。
2月6日美国最激动人心的新闻莫过于Elon Musk发射并回收了他的私人火箭，Falcon Heavy。推送重量突破过去，发射成本远小于过去，而最具突破性的是可以回收火箭的这个事实。他成功的依靠科技实现了他的设想，而且是在几乎所有人都质疑与否定的前提下，他成功了。
与这则新闻特别反讽的是，在科技又一次重大突破的时候，PUSD的数学老师们试图取消中学的数学快班，希望孩子们学的内容更少一些，更慢一些，甚至把几何的初步体验要推迟到高中。
在看似世界科技中心的硅谷地区，居然出现这个现象，家长们称之为“反智”。当偷懒的社会主义大锅饭，披着民主的外衣，裹挟着工会的支持，出现在资本主义的美国，马克思是不是在棺材里大笑。因为，他的预言几乎正在诡异的慢慢实现
Uploaded: Wed, Jan 31, 2018, 1:07 am
Residents voice concerns to school board about proposed math program changes
Senior cabinet raises, bond-funded laptop purchase also part of Tuesday meeting
by Julia Brown
A group of parents and students packed Tuesday’s school board meeting to express concerns about potential changes to the district’s math offerings.
The district has released a draft future math pathways proposal that recommends the phasing out of the middle school five-year pathway, an accelerated math program that currently allows students to complete math 6/7 in sixth grade, math 8/algebra in seventh grade and honors geometry in eighth. Under the current proposal, math 6/7 would be eliminated from middle school in the 2018-19 school year, math 8/algebra in 2019-20 and honors geometry in 2020-21.
A letter provided by Tri-Valley Asian Association president Sylvia Tian and addressed to superintendent David Haglund and teachers states parents “strongly oppose the proposal.”
“Every student should be provided with an appropriate place in the school,” an excerpt from the letter reads. “Math-passionate students should have a chance to enjoy the challenge and the inspiration of learning advanced math, which will pave their way to STEAM study.”
An online petition calling for PUSD to retain the current math program has received 1,007 signatures as of Tuesday evening.
Tian was one of 10 residents who spoke in favor of the continuation of the accelerated math program during the public comment period at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting. She said many parents were not aware that PUSD was considering changes to its math offerings and said she hoped there would be an opportunity for public input.
“We need the guardians and parents to understand what’s going on in our school district so we can be involved,” Tian said. “Our school district is renowned for its quality. Let’s push it up rather than drag it down.”
PUSD director of secondary education Ken Rocha said at the conclusion of public comment that the district has not yet presented a formal plan on future math pathways and that PUSD will be taking feedback at forums planned for Tuesday, Wednesday and Feb. 28. Tuesday’s forum will be held at Hart Middle School, Wednesday’s at Pleasanton Middle School and the final one at Harvest Park. All meetings will take place from 6-7:30 p.m.
“We owe it to ourselves to have a conversation publicly about how we can best serve our students and making sure we’re hearing our community’s voice as well,” Rocha said.
Posted by Pleasanton Resident
a resident of Harvest Park Middle School
on Jan 31, 2018 at 7:39 am
Director Ken Rocha's proposal PowerPoint to eliminate the 6th grade accelerated math option, and make other changes to the math pathways, cites PUSD Resolution No. 2015-2016.23 “Equity & Diversity” policy: “Practices and policies that lead to both the over-representation of students from some ethnic groups and students of low socioeconomic status in areas such as special education and the under-representation in programs such as gifted and talented, honors, and Advanced Placement will be critically examined and modified.” The justification for cutting the 6th grade advanced math option is ironic, given the PUSD practice and policy of allowing individual elementary school teachers to vote against nightly homework practice in math, as is the case at Walnut Grove School. The current homework policy can lead to disparity in math achievement between the different PUSD elementary schools, and between students whose families manage to give math practice in the home to supplement classroom instruction, and those families that rely solely on instructional minutes inside the classroom to master the subject. We all know that practice in a subject, whether in water polo, percussion, or math, leads to mastery. A piano student who has not memorized the notes may not progress and will begin to lose interest in her instrument, as pieces become more challenging. An athlete who does not report for team practices will be dropped from the team. Socioeconomically disadvantaged elementary students are not served by a school policy that views math practice at home as optional or occasional. If the district is concerned with parity for underrepresented ethnic or socioeconomic students' access to advanced placement math, why cut out the advanced placement option in place for those who have an early interest in STEM careers, and have a talent and passion for more challenging math work by the end of 5th grade? The district should seek out and develop programs like Jose Valdes Math Institute in San Jose as a potential model for improving access for underrepresented students to advanced placement math.
89 likes
Posted by Epicenter of stupidity
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jan 31, 2018 at 8:28 am
PUSD continues to be the epicenter of community discord because of its secretive ways and inept administrators
So the overall reason to cut geometry and algebra in middle schools is because there are too many Indian and Chinese students in the advanced math classes? That is absurd. But typical of Pleasanton educrat thinking.
Rather than cut the classes, it is time to boost the black, hispanic, and caucasian students so that they are prepared by middle school to take the advanced math classes.
And if they can't do that?
Keep the advanced math classes anyway.
132 people like this
Posted by Sam
a resident of Oak Hill
on Jan 31, 2018 at 8:42 am
Are we going to eliminate basketball because we have too many black kids and the Asians kids are too short? Of course not!
79 people like this
Posted by Grace
a resident of Harvest Park Middle School
on Jan 31, 2018 at 11:01 am
PUSD shall listen more on what Pleasanton community needs in education! When 30 parents met with Mr. Ken Rocha, Director of Secondary Curriculum, Parents keep asking what are the issues PUSD identifies in current Math Pathway besides the Ethnicity perspective supported by data in proposal? I agreed everything the above two commenter said about Ethnicity perspective and it is riduculous. I am very concerned PUSD make it very vague in what are the true driver of the change proposal! Parents lack of transparency and visibility on the data points that lead to PUSD putting so much efforts in changing a not-so-bad Math Pathway to a worse direction! Many parents in the meeting think PUSD shall put more efforts in providing more enrichment class in elementary schools and middle school rather than reducing them! I thinks PUSD is currently working in the opposite direction of sustaining PUSD’s good education reputation. None of PUSD residence would like to see that families who care about education feel disappointed and move out hence lead to decrease of property value.
45 people like this
Posted by HPMS Parent
a resident of Harvest Park Middle School
on Jan 31, 2018 at 11:17 am
I was shocked by Director Ken Rocha's proposal of eliminating the middle school accelerated math option. The current math placement system is a great solution to address the difference level of interest in math among the 6th grade kids. We can’t just drag down the advanced kids to a lower level for “social equality”. The purpose for education is to help to kids to achieve their full potential, not to make every kid at the “same low level”.
66 people like this
Posted by Reno
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jan 31, 2018 at 4:01 pm
Reno is a registered user.
Forgive me, and I sympathize, but I am so glad I don't have kids in school nowadays.
I am 67, and my recollections of what was expected and what we were taught is like night and day.
It's well known that the US falls behind other countries in math and science; how much of that is due to apathy and the lack of discipline on the part of students and parents?
18 people like this
