D’s and C’s in Algebra 2 Cause Uproar

With D’s and C’s as the new average in many Algebra 2 classes, parents are anything but pleased.

After the pandemic, many students were left with huge gaps in their learning. In certain classes, such as Algebra 2, this gap has become very apparent. A recent Algebra 2 test taken before winter break received a class average of 64%, leading parents to voice their disappointment on the B-CC listserv.

Many parents expressed concern over how teachers will recover all the content lost during the pandemic: “In 47 minutes, I don’t know how Honors Algebra 2 teachers can deliver simultaneous acceleration and reteaching…This is not the teacher’s fault by any means. Teachers do not have adequate time to do all this. This is an MCPS* or HS admin level issue.”

According to Ms. Hazel from Montgomery County Public School’s Central Office, MCPS has added a few “flex days” to some units in the Honors Algebra 2 curriculum. This is aimed at teachers who are expected to give students more time to catch up on material they may have missed.

Another B-CC parent reacted to the announcement by posting on the listserv, “I feel more hopeful about the B-CC Math Department acknowledging a few mistakes and their willingness to fix them, than about Central MCPS doing anything to make sure learning loss is addressed inside the classroom.”

Parents have expressed their dissatisfaction with the way MCPS handled this situation, specifically the way MCPS put the burden on teachers to catch students up without providing the correct resources. Even Algebra 2 students like Frances Doyle, who state that “math is usually my best subject,” find it “really hard to simultaneously learn new content and catch up on everything we missed last year.”

This issue is not exclusive to Algebra 2. We see the repercussions of the pandemic on students’ learning throughout the county. B-CC staff, students, and parents continue to work in unison to get Barons back on track.

*Montgomery County Public Schools