The state's Board of Education is considering changes to Georgia's math curriculum. (GPB file photo)
Since 2004 school districts have had to teach algebra, geometry and trigonometry together as one course instead of separately. But state education officials have heard plenty of criticism.
Many parents say the approach has been too confusing, resulting in thousands of students failing their final math exams. And teachers have pushed-back, saying they never got enough training.
An option to return to a more traditional, or “discreet” way of teaching math may soon be given to school districts. Muscogee County schools’ superintendent Susan Andrews already has the answer from her high school teachers:
“The majority of our teachers said ‘we want to do the discreet instructional approach’. And so since the majority of our teachers said that, then as a district, that’s the direction we’ll go if the state department gives us that latitude.”
Andrews says her concern is for students in her district who are falling behind and have not been as successful in the new integrated curriculum.
The state Board of Education is expected to vote on the math curriculum measure next week.
