8th Grade Algebra Mandate

The California government decided to rush a mandate on algebra for all eighth graders that will change the entire curriculum of elementary and middle schools. They did so without even notifying California State Superintendent Jack O’Connell. The major problem schools now face is how to deal with this in their budget since they will need new books, new teachers and perhaps even new classrooms. Another major consideration is class size. To allow students to properly understand algebra, classes should be cut down to about 20 students, as they are in High School as opposed to about 40 students per class in Middle School.