Time to Teach Eighth-Grade Algebra

By Joel Engardio:

I introduced a ballot measure urging San Francisco’s public schools to let kids take algebra by the eighth grade. Now, we make everyone wait until ninth grade because some aren’t ready for algebra sooner. Let’s better prepare all students instead of holding back kids who love math. 

When did you learn algebra? At my public school in Michigan, I took algebra in the eighth grade. 

This is still the standard today. Most school districts in the Bay Area teach basic algebra in the eighth grade. Some even let seventh graders take it when they show eagerness and ability in math. 

Yet in San Francisco, Algebra 1 is not offered until ninth grade. We stopped offering eighth-grade algebra because not every student was prepared for it. How is that a solution? We should do better to prepare all students for algebra and not punish kids who can handle it earlier.

Math loving kids in San Francisco are punished because, without algebra in the eighth grade, they can’t get into calculus by high school graduation. And this hurts college options. 

There are workarounds. Students can cram a year of geometry in summer school, but a long waitlist means not everyone gets a seat. Parents can pay for math courses that help students reach calculus by senior year, but that only works for families who can afford it. 

Why does eighth-grade algebra matter? Every resident of San Francisco should care about this because well-run public schools are essential for a city to function and thrive.

We have a tale of two school systems in San Francisco. Private schools are growing and public-school enrollment is declining. This reduces school district revenues which are based on the number of enrolled students, making it more difficult to provide what students and teachers need. 

A quarter of our kids attend private schools, compared to only nine percent in California. A policy against eighth grade algebra is a big factor when families decide to leave public schools when their child reaches middle school.

Families also leave San Francisco entirely. They leave for many reasons – cost of housing, quality of life and schools. We have the lowest percentage of children among major U.S. cities. It’s often said San Francisco has more dogs than kids, and that’s a problem.

San Francisco’s future depends on keeping families here. This starts with treating parents like partners and offering the courses and programs that will make parents want to choose public schools – especially the parents stretching themselves to pay for private tuition.

How did we get to this point? San Francisco stopped letting eighth graders take algebra in 2014. It was a well-intended policy. There were concerns about a racial gap in algebra completion rates. The goal was to stop tracking kids based on ability and keep all students together until everyone was prepared to take advanced math classes. But schools’ Superintendent Matt Wayne told the San Francisco Chronicle that delaying algebra until ninth grade didn’t improve outcomes. And a study by Stanford University showed the policy “had little to no impact on improving pass rates, proficiency or enrollment in higher math classes.”

Another unintended consequence of the math policy is that it affects college applications. San Francisco offers a compression class of Algebra 2 and pre-calculus that combines two years of math into one. It’s supposed to make up for the late start of Algebra 1. But this mash-up course doesn’t meet the admission standards to the University of California system because it doesn’t have enough pre-calculus content to be considered advanced math. Imagine the disappointment of a student who wants to attend a UC school. 

Rex Ridgeway is an advocate for eighth-grade algebra because his granddaughter Joselyn loves math. He wanted to make sure Joselyn could get into the college of her choice. He paid nearly $1,000 for Joselyn to take algebra the summer before ninth grade. He paid another $1,000 for a pre-calculus class the summer before 11th grade. Rex says knowing calculus in high school is essential. He pointed to UC San Diego, which has 78 majors that begin with calculus.

Now Rex’s granddaughter is on track with all As in math at Abraham Lincoln High School. But it shouldn’t have to be this way. That’s why Rex has written OpEds, spoken during public comment at City Hall and organized parents to call on the school district to change the algebra policy. 

The Board of Supervisors does not have control over the school district. Our schools are governed by an independently elected school board. But every resident of San Francisco is our constituent, including parents and students. Their voices deserve to be heard. That’s why I introduced through the Board of Supervisors a declaration of policy for the March 2024 ballot that urges the school district to offer Algebra 1 to students by the eighth grade and to develop a math curriculum that prioritizes excellence for students at all grade levels.

I want to thank the co-sponsors of my measure: supervisors Ahsha Safai, Myrna Melgar, Catherine Stefani and Matt Dorsey. 

Thanks to the advocacy of many parents like Rex Ridgeway, the school district has initiated a process and a committee to look at bringing algebra back to the eighth grade. This is great. But many parents know that committees can veer in different directions. There is no guarantee what this committee will determine. That’s why the ballot measure is important. It gives parents and voters the chance to tell the school district that there is a mandate for eighth-grade algebra. 

Some will worry that a vital school bond measure in March 2024 could be jeopardized by an eighth-grade algebra measure on the same ballot. I believe the two measures complement each other. Let’s vote “yes” on both. Let’s fund our schools and tell the school district we need eighth-grade algebra. Both are needed for our public schools to succeed.

If a kid likes math, let’s do everything we can to encourage it!

Joel Engardio is the District 4 representative on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He can be reached at engardiostaff@sfgov.org.