Bring Algebra Back

Superintendent Matt Wayne, President Kevine Boggess, Vice President Lisa Weissman-Ward and Commissioners Jenny Lam, Lainie Motamedi, Alida Fisher, Matt Alexander and Mark Sanchez

San Francisco public school kids are denied algebra in 8th grade, limiting their options for careers in science, engineering or technology.

This pushes families out of our public schools.

As our map shows, most bay area public schools offer algebra in 8th grade, and many districts offer algebra in 7th grade... making it easy to take calculus before college. San Francisco is an outlier, putting our children a year or two behind their peers in math -- unless their families spend their money and time working around the system.


We say, if a kid is ready for algebra, let her take it.

Here's what we want:

1/ 2023-2024 school year: offer Algebra 1 as an elective in at least three middle schools

2/ Algebra 1 in every middle school by the 2024-2025 school year.


Bring Algebra Back for San Francisco's 8th graders!


Add your name now.

Autumn Looijen & Siva Raj. SF Guardians
Rex Ridgeway, grandparent
Kevin Robinson, education activist

Petition by
Autumn Looijen
Autumn Looijen
San Francisco, California
Sponsored by
Sf_guardians_twitter_logo_2x2
SF Guardians
San Francisco, CA
Additional Sponsors
Facebook_avatar-2
GrowSF

To: Superintendent Matt Wayne, President Kevine Boggess, Vice President Lisa Weissman-Ward and Commissioners Jenny Lam, Lainie Motamedi, Alida Fisher, Matt Alexander and Mark Sanchez
From: [Your Name]

Dear Superintendent Wayne and BoE Commissioners,

We are asking you to bring Algebra 1 back for San Francisco's 8th graders.

Our public school kids shouldn't have to wait until 9th grade to take algebra.

This policy puts us at a disadvantage compared to public schools just across the county line -- most bay area schools offer 8th grade algebra, and many offer it in 7th grade:

https://www.sfguardians.org/8th-grade-algebra-map

At a time of declining enrollment, removing 8th grade algebra has further weakened the appeal of our middle schools. No parent wants their kids to be a year or two behind their peers in math.

Removing algebra was intended to help disadvantaged kids access advanced math. It was a grand experiment... but it failed. Families with means use expensive and time consuming workarounds, while families without means are further disadvantaged versus their public and private school peers.

https://www.sfexaminer.com/forum/put-algebra-1-back-in-eighth-grade/article_01ca608e-be01-11ed-9d12-5fb4111a4db8.html

This policy decision has hurt our children, pushed families out of the district, and impaired the fiscal stability of our public school system.

We are asking the school board to reverse the decision to deny 8th graders algebra.

In the 2023-2024 school year, we are asking for Algebra 1 offered as an elective in at least three middle schools.

And we are asking for a commitment to bring Algebra 1 back to every middle school by the 2024-2025 school year, for every middle school child who is ready for it.

Thank you.