Palo Alto’s Toxic Political Litmus Test
Multivariable Calculus (MVC) has come to dominate the Palo Alto school board agenda and elections. It is dividing our community, distorting our politics, and hurting our schools.
I have been attending PAUSD school board meetings regularly for the past 4 and a half years because of my concerns about special education. In the last 4 years, the issue of offering Multivariable Calculus (the usual math course after Calculus consisting of an introduction to Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Multivariable Calculus) bubbled up from a topic raised by a small number of students and families into an issue that dominated the school board election 2 years ago, and continues to do so today.
A Failure of Leadership
This has been aggravated by decisions by the school board(s) and Superintendent to not address and close the issue in a way that would be, if not satisfactory, clear and resolved for the community.
The latest example being at the March 17 board meeting that almost (3-2 vote) set a dangerous precedent to override the school district’s long established policy for determining which authorized courses are being offered at individual schools to force them to offer MVC
We’ve also had a serious, multi-year, undiscussed issue with a substantial spike in 8th grade math students failing their course and having to retake it in high school… collateral damage perhaps of PAUSD’s drive to accelerate students through math.
Bipolar MVC Disorder
If you can manage to calmly talk to people on either side of the issue, you would think they are talking about two entirely different subjects.
They are.
And that is a big part of the problem.
I think the facts that people would agree on are (I may be wrong and would happily be corrected on this):
1. MVC has always been available at community college to PAUSD students (as are a number of other courses).
2. MVC is also available for any student at our Middle College program at Foothill College.
3. MVC was authorized by the current board last year to be available as a PAUSD course through the other high schools.
4. MVC was not selected this year to be launched as a during-the-school-day course by the school sites (there are a number of courses that are on the school district list that are not offered at any particular time. This is the standard process for courses and the decision that the board did not vote to override at the March meeting).
The “Pro-MVC” advocates would add the following (I would welcome additions or corrections):
1. Other local school districts offer MVC.
2. MVC is an important foundational course to access important topics (I actually don’t think there is disagreement on this).
3. There are a substantial number of PAUSD students who have completed the mathematics curriculum offered at PAUSD before their senior year and are ready and interested in this course (I suspect there is also little disagreement on this).
4. It is a burden to students (at Paly and Gunn) to only have this course available outside of the basic academic day. Interference with “extacurriculars” has been cited.
5. There is a disadvantage to PAUSD students in getting into the college of their choice if they do not have access to this course.
The “Anti-MVC” advocates would counter with:
1. Not all local school districts offer MVC.
2. Many/most of the students who desire MVC were able to accelerate through outside classes/tutoring, and so this course is not an “organic” class achievable through the PAUSD system, but really only available to students who have privately funded additional mathematics coursework.
3. The focus on the class being offered on-site during the school day is more about boosting GPAs (by having the course marked as a high school class) than a desire to access the course (see 1-3 in shared facts above).
4. There is no data to support that any PAUSD student has suffered in their college acceptance or careers by the lack of this course during their time in PAUSD.
5. The obsession with MVC is a part of an unhealthy “achievement culture” in Palo Alto which forces students to push through math courses (particularly) and contributes to mental health problems for our students.
My Thoughts
* There is merit to both sides of this issue. The “Anti MVC” folks have not been clear and publicly articulating their concerns, weakening their argument.
And the “Pro MVC” folks have moved from advocacy to intimidation with the consequence of driving good people out of participation in our community or running for the board… and drive away candidates for Superintendent or other jobs in our district.
* We should look at ways to reduce the temptations in our school system to game our systems (there is no skip test in English or History)… maybe we need to get rid of bonus grade points for honors classes?
* I’m concerned for our children with overzealous parents who are pushing their children to take math that they aren’t ready for and that at the end of the day they’ll hate math and abandon it.
* I worry that students aren’t “learning how to learn” on their own without a class handed to them on a schedule.
* I worry that students are confusing classes and grades with learning.
* I’m concerned for our community that we don’t talk to each other respectively and disagree civilly. We are torching our backyard in the same way we are dividing our country.
We can do better.
