Algebra I is a year long course. Did the student stay in high school for six years? That doesn’t sound right. Did the student pass the prerequisites for Algebra I? Why wasn’t she routed into some special assistance? Did she have the mental capability of understanding simple mathematics? Did she know how to study and that work by her was required to learn? Did the student actually read the book and do the homework? Did she ask questions in class? Did she ask the teacher to show how to do homework problems she didn’t understand? Did she take notes? Did she write anything down? Did she keep a notebook and save her homework to study for the test? Did she study for the test? Did she use the extra tutoring that is available after school at most schools? Learning is not a passive event for the student and the student must take the initiative in engaging themselves. In high school students should not be spoon fed.

And did she work after school? Did she participate in activities after school that prevented her from setting aside the amount of time she needed to study? We don’t know. But school work should be any student’s top priority.

Since Algebra I is taught to 9th graders there are often immaturity issues that prevent the student from learning to their fullest. They come out of middle school thinking that the courses will be easy and that they can copy some other student’s homework and pass the exams anyway. This is a very common attitude. Whether it results in 44% failure rate, I don’t know (not my experience). But much of the 9th grade is spent in learning that teachers require real work from the student and that the easy grades are over. That is a shock that some students don’t recover from and end up holding a grudge against the school system for the rest of their lives.

I am a high school teacher. I teach chemistry and expect my students to have a firm understanding of Algebra I (and Biology) as a prerequisite. I don’t give grades, they earn them. I have not taught Algebra I but have taught Geometry and Java Programming. (I’m certified in mathematics, computer science, and chemistry.)

Admittedly, Algebra I is boring to students who expect to be entertained. And a few students have the attitude that if they are not entertained they will shut down and not put the work into learning that is necessary. While a teacher tries to motivate, it is not the job of a teacher to entertain. So an attitude adjustment for those students who expect to be entertained is sometimes in order.

The article appears to contradict another article I read yesterday that says that students who drop out do that because they are bored and need more of a challenge. One of those articles must be off base. Unfortunately, I see a lot of contradictory stuff in the educational field.

Part of the problem that I see as a teacher is that everyone is at fault except the student. The student is often off the hook when it comes to responsibility. While there are bound to be a few students who simply don’t have the mental capability of learning most anything, including algebra, the far majority of students can learn Algebra I with only a minor amount of effort. With our world becoming increasingly complex, students will need far more math than their parents did. Get used to it; the need is not going away!

That said, there might have been something wrong with the guidance department in the case of this student who took Algebra I six times (?!). The student should have been flagged as ESE (learning disability), or ESOL (limited English knowledge) or some other educational problem and been given the proper guidance to deal with their problem.

And, finally, she can always become a journalist! Apparently they don’t need to know very much, report in any depth, or clearly explain what the real problem was.