Hi, My name is Kaari Aubrey and I'm a teacher in New York City.  I have been using an incredible program in my classroom called Algebra Nation and it’s a big reason for the success of my students had on the June Regents exam. It also makes my life easier as a teacher by providing additional tutoring to my students outside of school during nights and weekends.

I have been teaching for 5 years and I have NEVER seen success like this in a math classroom with any other program. A teacher in my building who also uses it with her students had a 100% pass rate on the Regents and has attributed much of the students’ success to this incredible program.  Many teachers that I work with appreciate the support the Algebra Nation has built in that allows students to receive individualized tutoring at any time as well as unlimited in-person professional development for teachers.

Unfortunately, because the program is being funded through the Algebra For All program (which is being cut significantly), Algebra Nation has lost all of its funding from the Department of Education.  We MUST save this for our students!

If you’re reading this, you're probably a teacher, parent or student and are familiar with this amazing resource - but if you don't know all about it, it's a program that was started by the University of Florida College of Education. It is now funded by several state legislatures and each state has their own unique version (just as we have our own version here in NYC). It includes very engaging videos from ‘study experts’ that cater to a variety of learners as well as a follow-along, write-in workbook for EACH AND EVERY one of my students. Algebra Nation also includes an ‘Algebra Wall’ (discussion board) where students are able to receive help every night and even on the weekends from certified teachers. Students are also able to assist each other on the wall and earn community service for it. Best of all, everything is available on an app in both the Apple Store and Google Play… so students have all of Algebra 1 in their pockets wherever they go. 

I have been in contact with the Algebra Nation team that so many teachers here in New York know and love, and they’ve shared with me that teachers in more than 300 schools across the city currently use the tool as either a supplement or as their full curriculum. Furthermore, this program is not one of the expensive programs that NYCDOE sometimes funds -- in fact, it costs less than 0.0022% of the NYCDOE budget!! More importantly, it’s the only one that I know of that is truly loved by teachers and students alike. Therefore, it should not be taken away!

I also discovered that while the initial intent of the NYCDOE was to provide ALL teachers, students, and parents across NYC with full access to this tool, it was actually lumped into the Algebra for All program and therefore only provided to certain schools over the past 2 years. Imagine how many teachers and students would benefit if the DOE put the funding back and opened it up to ALL schools...as Algebra Nation would like to do!!  The program is less than $725,000 per year which includes a write-in workbook for more than 50,000 students!! 

Please, PLEASE share this with others so we can get as many people involved as possible. You can email friends or post it on facebook/twitter to get more signatures. But what we REALLY need to do is to make sure those who can fix this know about this petition.
Twitter is probably best (if you use twitter): @DOEChancellor  @NYCSchools  @LindaChenNYC  @AllieSkayne @edieannesharp

If not, please email Chancellor Carranza at: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4230457/Message-to-the-Chancellor and the executive director of STEM: Amy Basile (ABasile2@schools.nyc.gov)

Finally, as you share this, PLEASE have friends and family watch the video that the Algebra Nation staff provided to me (posted at the top of this petition) that shows how kids of all backgrounds and abilities in NYC truly love this program!!!

Thank you very much and remember to go and share this please so we can keep this great program in our schools!!

Kaari Aubrey