Schools to Debate Math Opportunities

In response to parents’ concerns, the Cambridge Public Schools committee voted to hold a roundtable discussion on possible alternatives for middle school students with advanced math abilities.

Math professionals from both within the district and the local community—including representatives from Harvard and MIT—will be invited to attend.

Currently, advanced students can enroll in classes at the high school or participate in individual online courses, but these options are neither formalized nor widely publicized.

“This has been bubbling up for a couple years,” committee member Patrica M. Nolan ’80 said. “We put the motion forward not to get an update on where we are but to move the district forward to address needs that are not currently met.”

Nolan’s son, who is in middle school, currently takes geometry at the high school—an option she heard about only through hearsay. Nolan and other committee members said this should not be the case.

“We need something institutionalized for kids who would benefit from an advanced math curriculum,” said committee member Marc C. McGovern.

Nolan said that many parents of children who are not challenged by their math curriculum are concerned that the district has neglected its abler students.

In an e-mail to Nolan, parent Joy Lucas wrote, “As a parent I would like to feel confident that gifted children receive the same accommodations as struggling students.”

Nolan said that the “irony of Cambridge” is that the high school “celebrates” the fact that its range of classes caters to students of all math abilities, but such opportunities are not as available at lower grade levels.

Nolan also said that parents recognize that the fault is not necessarily with the teachers. She noted that math presents unique obstacles for teachers trying to accommodate students of varying levels in the same class.

The discussion, which will address these and other difficulties, is slated to occur before the start of the next school year.

McGovern emphasized the importance of producing concrete initiatives at the roundtable.

“If action doesn’t come from [the meeting], all you’re left with is a great discussion.”

—Staff writer Sofia E. Groopman can be reached at segroopm@fas.harvard.edu

—Staff writer Michelle L. Quach can be reached at mquach@fas.harvard.edu