What Virginia Schools Will Be Changing About Math Curriculum...All in the Name of Equity

Leah Barkoukis | April 23, 2021 6:50 AM

In the name of equity, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is moving toward making sweeping changes to the K-12 math curriculum statewide, which includes removing options for advanced math courses prior to 11^th grade.

Loudoun County school board member Ian Serotkin wrote on Facebook about the changes.

"[A]s currently planned, this initiative will eliminate ALL math acceleration prior to 11th grade," he said. "That is not an exaggeration, nor does there appear to be any discretion in how local districts implement this. All 6th graders will take Foundational Concepts 6. All 7th graders will take Foundational Concepts 7. All 10th graders will take Essential Concepts 10. Only in 11th and 12th grade is there any opportunity for choice in higher math courses."

MASSIVE STATE MATH CURRICULUM REVAMP During last night’s Curriculum & Instruction Committee meeting, we received a...
Posted by Ian Serotkin, Loudoun County School Board Member, Blue Ridge District on Tuesday, April 20, 2021

He learned about the changes this week at the Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting, during which they received a briefing from Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative (VMPI) staff. One of the images he shared explains what the VMPI’s goals are. Listed first? “Improve equity in mathematics learning opportunities.”

“23 states and 2- and 4-year colleges are participating in this initiative,” the VMPI infographic states.

During a webinar posted on YouTube in December, a member of the "essential concepts" committee claimed that the new framework would exclude traditional classes like Algebra 1 and Geometry.
Committee member Ian Shenk, who focused on grades 8-10, said: "Let me be totally clear, we are talking about taking Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 – those three courses that we've known and loved ... and removing them from our high school mathematics program, replacing them with essential concepts for grade eight, nine, and 10."
He added that the concepts courses wouldn't eliminate algebraic ideas but rather interweave multiple strands of mathematics throughout the courses. Those included data analysis, mathematical modeling, functions and algebra, spatial reasoning and probability. (Fox News)