I've been teaching math for quite a while now (started in 1989 ... which means I'm older than I'd like to admit), and I've sat through a whole bunch of sessions filled with ideas to make things better. As with most things, the issue gets easier and easier to explain as experience provides the proper vantage point. My firm belief is that we're suffering from a culture of low expectations ... especially in regards to what we expect our children to be able to do mathematically.
In the era of "no child left behind," we're willing to tolerate the barely competent as deserving of "moving on" to the next level of mathematics. We often let our students "skip" a level, as long as they display some evidence of skill with math. I believe we're seeing the consequences of this, and I don't really think it's tough to see what's wrong. The "fix" is not complex, but it does require a certain amount of courage and faith.
We've been pretending that a 60% average (what most schools refer to as a "D" ... passing, but not quite satisfactory) is good enough to continue on to the next level. I challenge you to find ONE math teacher that believes that a student earning a "D" in a math class is competent to be able to move on to anything. Believe me when I tell you that you won't. "Passing" with a "D" is an affront to our best instincts as parents and educators. It communicates to the child that we're willing to lie ... we're happy to concede that this is "good enough," when we all agree it simply is not.
Now ... please understand that I'm not challenging the contention that some people just "aren't good at math" (or however you want to say it). I'd like to, but that's a rant for another day. What I do want to assert is that students who may not be "strong" in math can (and should) be expected to achieve at a "C" level. After many years of teaching, I can assure you that "C" students are really not that good at math. We lie to each other and call a "C" an "average" grade, but the truth is that "C" students are barely competent. Regular attendance, doing your homework, and having a pulse will, for the most part, guarantee at LEAST a "C."
But here lies the trap ... many of us will communicate to our children that a "C" is "good enough." It may be, but teaching our children to STRIVE for the "C" will inevitably lead to achievement at a "D" level. Both of my daughters were encouraged to take Algebra 1 (a course I took in the 9th grade) in the 7th grade. My wife and I agreed, but with one condition. If they did not get straight A's, they would retake the course in the 8th grade. This may sound harsh, but it set the bar exactly where we wanted them to be. It also maintained a perfectly reasonable goal ... students that take Algebra 1 in the 8th grade are STILL on track to complete college-level Calculus in the 12th grade. Hardly a failure, considering I didn't even know what Calculus WAS until I got to college (where I subsequently got my Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics).
Our challenge as parents is that we need to NOT fall victim to a natural urge to keep our kids "competitive" with other children. The school system WILL pass your child on to the next class, regardless of their true capacity. Only the truly ignorant (or, more likely, behaviorally problematic) will be "held back." Our challenge is to hold our OWN kids back. If your child gets a "D" in ANY math course, you are within your rights to insist that they repeat that class. Please believe me when I tell you that they'll be better off for it ... you know, the teacher knows, and (most importantly) your child knows that they have not demonstrated the proficiency required to be able to handle the next math class.
In an era when community colleges are pointing out how deficient students are in basic math skills and we are ALL seeing the decline in preparation and capacity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) performance, it is incumbent on us as parents to provide the reasonable expectations that too many of our school systems simply won't. Insist on A's & B's, tolerate C's, but reject D's as "passing" grades. Nobody thinks it's good enough except beaurocrats that want to brag about passing rates.
Smiles,
Greg.
