march 2024 primary
Yes On Prop G
Offering Algebra 1 to Eighth Graders
This is a non-binding piece of legislation that indicates voter support for bringing Algebra 1 back to eighth grade instruction—like it is almost everywhere else in California. Is it ridiculous that we need to tell the Board of Education that San Francisco families want their kids to learn algebra in eighth grade? Yes. Is it necessary? Apparently!
ENDORSEMENT TEMPERATURE: CAN’T HURT
The Context
District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio authored this non-binding advisory measure to urge the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to allow students to take Algebra 1 by the eighth grade. Currently, SFUSD’s policy offers Algebra 1 in ninth grade, which is later than almost every other school district in California and puts students at a disadvantage if they want to take Calculus before graduating High School. In theory, SFUSD’s policy was intended to reduce educational inequalities—in practice, it left racial inequities unchanged while reducing academic rigor.
This measure is non-binding, but it’s important to tell the Board of Education that San Francisco families want their children to have the same academic opportunities as children in other cities across California. The Board of Education’s decision to move Algebra 1 from eighth grade to ninth grade may have been well-intentioned, but after viewing the past decade of data, it’s clear that the policy hasn’t had the intended effect. This measure would encourage San Francisco’s Board of Education to reconsider the ideology that drives some of their decisions, and think about the downstream effects of literally putting students behind their peers in other cities.
The Support & Opposition
Support comes from measure author Supervisor Joel Engardio and Supervisors Catherine Stefani, Ahsha Safaí, Myrna Melgar, and Matt Dorsey.
The only opposition at the moment comes from Supervisor Shamann Walton, who was on the Board of Education when they voted to remove Algebra 1 from eighth grade.
Anything Else I Should Know?
Debate over math curriculum and the emphasis on calculus in high school is part of a larger, ongoing "math war" in California. The new curriculum aims to address educational inequities, but has faced criticism for potentially reducing academic rigor. Not all students are prepared to take algebra by the eighth grade, leading to disparities where white and Asian students often progress faster in math compared to Black and Latino students. But removing Algebra 1 from eighth grade hasn’t solved this problem—it’s time to end a ten-year old experiment.
Paid for by TogetherSF Action (tsfaction.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.