Advanced math class approved despite opposition from teachers

BY STEPHANIE LAM
Daily Post Correspondent

The Palo Alto School Board on Tuesday (Dec. 16) unanimously green lit two new advanced math courses for high schoolers, addressing long-standing concerns from students about a lack of on-campus accelerated math classes.

If approved by administrators at Palo Alto and Gunn high schools, Multivariable Calculus/Linear Algebra Honors students who complete the BC course (an advanced calculus class) can take the multivariable class at nearby Foothill or De Anza colleges as part of a dual-enrollment program.

The inclusion of a Multivariable Calculus class was heavily pushed for this year by Palo Alto High students and parents. Many students, who have or will complete BC soon, say they need another math course to challenge themselves academically. They also want to take such classes without having to commute off-campus and sacrifice time for extracurricular activities.

However, the multivariable class was met with pushback from Palo Alto High School teachers, including the school’s own internal education council of teachers, who say the course is not needed at the high school level and would only serve a few students.

The tension has sparked debates about whether the district should accommodate advanced students, or if money should be dedicated to serving the broader student population.

During Tuesday’s Palo Alto Unified School District Board meeting, several Paly students voiced their support for he multivariable class.

Tamping down passions

Sophomore Alyssa Yuan said without higher math courses, students’ passion for the subject is “held down.” Yuan said the district should celebrate students who are working hard and aiming high.

“We have students ready to learn and teachers ready to teach. The only thing missing is the chance to move forward,” she said.

Oscar Varodayan, a freshman at Paly, said he personally knows 50 sophomores who are on track to take Multivariable Calculus during their senior years.

He believes the students shouldn’t be forced to give up after-school sports and extracurricular to “fight over limited seats at Foothill” where high school students already have low priority.

“It’s finals week so I know a lot of people can’t make it,” Varodayan said. “But I’m here because I think it’s important that our voices are heard.”

Teachers object

But then there are some Paly teachers who object to offering the class on campus. In an Oct. 3 letter to the school board, Palo Alto’s education council, which consists of teachers, states that the multivariable class is not expected at the high school level. Creating new math courses may also “disadvantage others,” the council writes, and many colleges require students to retake the class once they enroll.

The council also predicts that the course would serve around 6% of students, making it an exclusive offering. “MVC would serve very few students while consuming teachers and scheduling resources that support many more,” the council writes. But Paly sophomore Emily Lee believes providing the course won’t create a disadvantage for other students.

“This is about expanding opportunities where demands already exist,” she said.

Previous vote

This is not the first time the school board was confronted with approving advance courses. Earlier this year, board members were split 3-2 on whether to continue offering Honors Biology to freshman, or group the courses all in one class.

Board members Rowena Chiu and Josh Salman voted to keep Honors Biology while Alison Kamhi, Shounak Dharap and Shana Segal voted to move to a single course.

The meeting left students and parents concerned. that the district will remove other advanced classes.