Voilà! Jay Mathews can get MCPS to add a teacher!

Extra Credit: Why Does the Mountain Have to Come to the Middle School?

From letter to Washington Post Education reporter Jay Mathews:

I am a former Montgomery County public schools employee, a parent of two in the system and a lifelong educator. An accelerated math program is presenting a unique challenge for the whole system...

...In the past couple of years, the few students who qualified for this level of acceleration were bused to a middle school, then returned to the elementary school for the remainder of their day. This year, so many students have been found eligible that parents have requested that instead of sending them to the middle school, a Math B teacher be brought to the elementary school to teach them. This would reduce disruption and be better for their development...

The issue was brought to the community superintendent's office, but still no resolution. In fact, they have contradicted themselves and insulted me in the process. I have followed all appropriate procedures but have not received correspondence from the community superintendent herself, only from the director of school performance. I have requested investigation into the fact that forcing accelerated students to repeat a class would violate policy. I was told my perception was not reality. Could you please check this out?

From Jay Mathews' response:

...It looks as though the people in charge have finally gotten your message and will make sure there is a Math B teacher at the elementary school...

Please note that these results apply to one school only! You will have to contact Jay Mathews about your specific school if you wish to see similar results.

And don't miss one of the comments to this article from Katherine Merseth, Director, Teacher Education Program at Harvard University. Here is an excerpt of what Dr. Merseth has to say:

...As a former math teacher and current faculty member at Harvard University I can attest that accelerating students is doing them no favors; they come to colleges like Harvard with little conceptual understanding of how math works, why it works they way it does, and only can apply memorized formulas. As a result of this fragile understanding of mathematics, students end up retaking content (usually calculus) they they supposedly already "had."

...it is terrible education policy to rush kids through content.