8th Grade Algebra Petition

San Francisco families deserve strong math pathways for their children. As the San Francisco Unified School District considers how to permanently bring Algebra back to middle school at the next Tuesday March 24th School Board meeting, there is growing concern that Algebra I may be offered only as an optional “side-car” elective rather than as a standard eighth-grade math course.

It would create practical barriers and force students to make terrible trade-offs. By making Algebra I an elective, students would be forced to forfeit the time to take other electives in subjects such as art, music, or language. We shouldn’t force students to choose between art and math.

The course sequencing is also questionable. If a student can achieve a passing score on California's MDTP Algebra 1 Readiness Test, they should not be forced to take Math 8 at the same time. A student who has gone to the trouble to master the Math 8 material and demonstrate proficiency should not be required to sit through this course and limit their opportunities to explore academically and creatively.

Making Algebra I optional additionally limits long-term math education for thousands of students. When students take Algebra I in ninth grade instead of eighth, it becomes much harder to complete the sequence needed to take advanced math courses such as Calculus by twelfth grade.

At a time when only about 46% of SFUSD students are proficient in math, our district should be expanding access to rigorous math education -- not limiting it. Enabling students to be placed into Algebra 1 broadens their opportunity to pursue advanced STEM pathways in high school and in life.

Add your name to this letter urging Maria Su and the San Francisco Board of Education to allow rising 8th graders to test into Algebra I as their default eighth-grade math course beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, while providing additional academic support for students who need it.

Sign below to support stronger math pathways for San Francisco students.

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Message to SFUSD Superintendent and School Board

Dear Superintendent Su and Members of the Board of Education,&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;As the San Francisco Unified School District finalizes its plans for offering Algebra I in eighth grade, we urge the district to make Algebra I a default mathematics option for eighth grade students who achieve a passing score on California's MDTP Algebra 1 Readiness Test, rather than restricting students to taking it as an elective alongside Math 8.&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;SFUSD’s Algebra I pilots were an important step forward. However, the district’s recent survey and discussions suggest that SFUSD’s plans to make Algebra I an optional elective rather than a standard eighth-grade math course fall far short of what students who are ready for Algebra 1 need and deserve.&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;Offering Algebra as an elective creates practical barriers and difficult trade-offs for students. Students would have to take it in addition to Math 8, often replacing other electives and limiting their ability to explore subjects such as art, music, or language. Students shouldn’t be forced to choose between math and art. Families with less information about course pathways may also be less likely to opt in, unintentionally reinforcing the very inequities the district seeks to address.&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;The course sequencing is also questionable. A student who is ready to tackle Algebra 1 -- but who is being required to take a concurrent Math 8 class -- still has a right to differentiated instruction, including being challenged to their fullest. As the last 12 years of SFUSD math results have shown, siphoning off teacher attention and support in this way does not produce better outcomes -- neither for the student who needs more support to succeed nor for the student who is ready to move on. &#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;This is a social engineering experiment that has run its course and failed.&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;San Francisco students already face serious challenges in math achievement. According to SFUSD’s own data, only about 46% of students are currently proficient in math. At a time when our district should be strengthening math pathways, it would be a mistake to structure Algebra in a way that suppresses participation.&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;Instead, we urge SFUSD to allow Algebra I to be a standard eighth-grade math course. This approach is neither radical nor unprecedented.&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;San Francisco’s public school students deserve access to rigorous math education that prepares them for high school, college, and socio-economic opportunities. Enabling students who are ready to test into and enroll in Math 8 in 8th grade would restore a critical academic pathway and align SFUSD with the expectations of families.&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;We respectfully ask the district and the Board of Education to adopt a plan that ensures that a rising 8th grade student who achieves a passing score on California's MDTP Algebra 1 Readiness Test can enroll in Algebra 1 as their core 8th grade math class beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, while providing targeted support to help every student succeed.&#13;&#10;&#13;&#10;Thank you for your consideration and for your commitment to improving outcomes for San Francisco’s students.

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