Overview: 

The Needham Math Pathway Petition is a student led initiative aiming to introduce more flexibility into the Needham Public Schools math system to accommodate for every students skills and needs and to allow everyone to reach their full potential. 

We'd greatly appreciate it if you could donate to our GoFundMe to help fund this cause: https://gofund.me/f29b12e6

If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback for us, please feel free to reach out to us via email @needhammathpetition@gmail.com

 

Full Letter:

Dear Needham School Administrator and Committee Members,

We, the undersigned students and concerned members of the Needham community, petition Needham High School to revise the school’s math pathway for greater flexibility, accommodating the skills and needs of every student. The recent removal of the accelerated track in the math program has restricted students' freedom and flexibility in choosing their classes.

First, this negatively impacts students seeking higher-level math classes. The current math pathway is rigid and inflexible, obliging them to enroll in courses that do not challenge them or enable them to reach their full potential. Furthermore, due to Needham High School's schedule limitations, students can only select seven classes per school year, preventing them from including desired classes in their schedule.

Second, this system not only restricts certain students, as mentioned earlier, but also creates unnecessary stress for others. The previous math pathway featured four different levels of math, but now there are only three, resulting in increased variability in skill levels within each class. Consequently, some students feel pressured to progress faster because they are surrounded with different leveled peers. Additionally, with this greater variability, many students struggle to receive the adequate attention and support they need from their teachers.

Third, this situation places greater demands on teachers. The increased variability in skill levels hinders teachers from providing the same quality of time and attention as before. They may find themselves allocating resources to students who have already mastered the concepts while neglecting those who genuinely require assistance. This inefficient allocation of the school’s teaching resources could be significantly improved with a more flexible pathway.

To address these challenges, we propose three solutions:

Reinstate the accelerated middle school track, which was temporarily suspended during the COVID pandemic. This option is widely adopted in peer schools such as Newton, Hopkinton, Wellesley, Winchester, Natick, Framingham, and many others.

Introduce a test-out option where students can take a test for a class they wish to bypass. If they achieve a specific passing grade, they can progress to the next class. This approach grants students the flexibility to find classes that suit their abilities comfortably, reducing skill-level variability in the classroom and more efficiently allocating teachers' time and resources. This option is also implemented in peer schools like Weston, Winchester, Natick, Framingham, and more.

Implement a more accessible dual enrollment program, involving partnerships with nearby community colleges such as MassBay or Baystate Community College. This initiative would enable high school students to take college classes without affecting their high school schedules. One of the main issues this partnership resolves is the inaccessibility of dual enrollment, which, under the current system, has been prohibitively expensive for many families. With this partnership, students can access these classes for free, allowing them to explore a broader range of subjects without being restricted by the standard seven-class high school schedule.

To enable every student to fully realize their potential within the Needham school system, we strongly urge you to take action.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Lulu Wang

Alexander Gurchenkov

And the undersigned students and members of the Needham community