<p>So... I have a friend who's school is considering firing all the math teachers and instead buying more computers and making everyone take online classes. Even AP Classes.
What do you think of this? I personally would leave change schools if I couldn't take AP Calc in a real class. By the way, the school is facing a 5 million dollar deficit, because the state has cut around $700 (more?) in funding.</p>
<p>If that was to happen in my district, there would be a serious uprising among our parents leading to the removal of the entire school board and superintendent. It would truly get nasty. I’m assuming this is a public school so I as a taxpayer would be demanding to know why my child has to learn from a computer instead of a qualified teacher.</p>
<p>Deficit or not, cutting such a fundamental department is ridiculous and it speaks volumes to the incompetence of the school board and district staff. I would definitely pull my child out of the school and consider my options.</p>
<p>JMHO</p>
<p>I’m surprised that something like the arts or hard sciences would not be cut first along with electives. There’s probably something out there that says students can learn math just as well on a computer as with a teacher (who would still be needed to supervise the kids, I presume), but I don’t think so. Budget cuts are no fun, but some cost-saving decisions make no sense in the long run.</p>
<p>I know. Hopefully they decide to not to go with this plan of action. I’m just amazed that it’s this bad.</p>
<p>My school only offers Calc (and it’s only AP) online. Nobody is taking it for that exact reason. </p>
<p>It’s the only accelerated math in my school and no one wants to risk it. </p>
<p>I’d be horrified if I’d had to take Algebra and Pre-Calc online. I never would have made it.</p>
<p>I find this quite amazing.</p>
<p>This kind of reminds me of the math emporium at Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>Just remember… these are the children that will be running America one day.</p>
<p>It makes me sick that we have CEOs, athletes, etc that make millions every year, and yet we have schools that don’t have math teachers. What is wrong with this picture?!?</p>
<p>A high school firing all of the math teachers, and all of the math classes taught online?</p>
<p>Sorry, I have a hard time believing that a school would do this. Does your friend have a credible source for this information, or are we talking rumor? </p>
<p>Many school district are facing budget shortfalls right now including the one I live in. Many options for cost saving are being discussed here and a lot of them will happen. Cutting the entire HS math department? I don’t think so.</p>
<p>I have trouble believing this is being considered. It makes no sense for one of the 3 Rs to be outsourced to computer based training. It sounds like just another rumor.</p>
<p>Well, look what I found: [Plan</a> would have eliminated Saline High School’s math department in favor of online classes - AnnArbor.com](<a href=“http://www.annarbor.com/news/plan-would-have-eliminated-saline-high-schools-math-department-in-favor-of-online-classes/]Plan”>Plan would have eliminated Saline High School's math department in favor of online classes)</p>
<p>[Plan</a> would have eliminated Saline High School’s math department in favor of online classes - AnnArbor.com](<a href=“http://www.annarbor.com/news/plan-would-have-eliminated-saline-high-schools-math-department-in-favor-of-online-classes/]Plan”>Plan would have eliminated Saline High School's math department in favor of online classes)
I searched for info about this online, and found the above article. Could this be the district that the OP was talking about?</p>
<p>But the article said that they were exploring the possibility, and that it wasn’t going to happen.</p>
<p>It’s scary that they are even considering it. Why not just shut down the school and give each kid a laptop? They would be saving the tax payers a lot more money.</p>
<p>I imagine if this happens at our town, a great many families would move out of town which should cause an avalanche of house price drop, and sort of defeat the purpose for trying to save tax money.</p>
<p>That is why we always vote yes when they want to increase educational spend in our town even though our kids do not use it.</p>
<p>Holy bonkers that high school is about 2 cities over from mine. It’s Michigan- well that explains everything. The students continually get screwed over in Michigan. Over, and over, and over again.</p>
<p>I’m of a different opinion than most here, I believe online courses will be dominant in the future as techniques for interactive learning improve. Just think, you can have the very best, proven lecturers explain the material in lesson plan, and then kids can solve all the practice problems they need to, ask questions and get immediate interactive feedback, and most importantly, work at there own pace.</p>
<p>However, the key here is that online learning will never eliminate the need for teachers, who must be there in person to give one on one, and small group support and supervision. This way you get the best of both worlds…a tested, clear explanation and individual support and attention. </p>
<p>I realize many kids need to “learn to learn” this way, taking more of the initiative in the process, but if you start early, kids will adapt and it can establish better life-long skills.</p>
<p>That’s the district I’m talking about. They sent a letter of intent to teachers but it looks now they won’t do it, probably because they would lose a lot of kids (and therefore funding). Isn’t it crazy though?</p>
<p>Online courses could be a very good thing, it is actually available now. But you don’t fire the whole math department overnight and force everyone to do it in a moment’s notice. I have done many remote training course and remote meeting and yet I never lose my respect for face to face meeting and classes. If you think that kids sometimes get bored and tend not to engage, try put them in an online course. For the very best and motivated, they will be fine, but it’s definitely not for everyone especially those that need supervision and some pushing.</p>
<p>Saline is considering doing that? I live really close to there. Infact, a lot of my teachers in high school had kids that were in the Saline school district. And that includes math teachers.</p>
<p>Saline is not some poor area, I think they could rework things, cut parts of other programs, do things short of getting rid of math. Hell, I’m sure they have a music department and PE department, it seems to me those should be the first things to go, with academic subjects last. </p>
<p>I went to high school in Ann Arbor, and lots of kids (well, I don’t know about a lot, but some) from Ypsi went there, I imagine if you wanted to you could transfer from Saline. </p>
<p>As for my opinion. It will work great for the top 30% of students (There typical person in Saline is well educated, the average student there is smarter than the average student nationally). It’ll be a failure for every student who doesn’t give a damn, or simply can’t do it because they’re not smart enough. Being in a classroom with a teacher also forces kids to pay attention and learn some, even when they don’t care.</p>
<p>And yes, I realize it’s not happening, but it’s still an insane thought.</p>