Dear Pro-tracking Parents: A Letter From a Former Tracking Advocate

Dear Pro-tracking Parents of the District, 

When I first came to M-A I was like you: starkly against detracking, concerned for my future, and disappointed with my school. Recent events at Board meetings and the impending vote at the next Board meeting compelled me to write this article.

MY JOURNEY WITH DETRACKING

Coming into high school, I expected to be hit by a trainload of work. I felt like it was necessary for me to be struggling to grow. My freshman year was online due to COVID. As an English nerd, when I went into my AS English I class, where we learned basic essay structure and our assignments consisted of one-paragraph writing assignments instead of essays, I was—to say the least—upset. 

I would drop not-so-subtle comments to my teacher about how I wasn’t challenged and every conversation at the dinner table revolved around how ‘watered-down’ my English class was. I enlisted my mother to contact the teacher to see why this ‘advanced’ class was not challenging me. Unhappy with the response, she went to Mr. Losekoot. He explained that the administration was already in the process of detracking because the district was trying to limit stress during the online year. Essentially, my AS English I class was becoming Multicultural Literature and Voice without Multicultural Literature and Voice’s (MCLV) strongest asset: in-person learning.  

The next year, now in-person, I regurgitated the same buzzwords and phrases that my friends and parents used about the class: “We shouldn’t bring everyone down to the lowest common denominator. Instead, we should bring everyone up to the higher level,” “This isn’t fair to us,” and “Why don’t we just devote more resources to kids who need help?” 

My first article in journalism even tried to prove that M-A wasn’t providing adequate rigor in their math curriculum. I skated through my non-AS Chemistry class but was less angry about the situation; I had come to accept it and was thankful I wasn’t like the grade below me who ‘had to’ take MCLV. 

And then I hit junior year. I became very involved with the publication and much of our coverage revolved around community resistance to detracking. Our staff interviewed numerous MCLV teachers and I helped write and rewrite stories about MCLV data and the history of tracking in schools. By the end of the first semester, my opinion had slightly shifted; I still favored reinstating tracked classes, but understood that some form of detracking was necessary to undo systemic inequities. 

By my senior year, after listening to many teachers and analyzing detracking data, I understood that, though imperfect, detracking is necessary, and altogether has the potential to do good with minimal to no harm. I was in support of detracking, but not an active advocate. That was, until this board meeting. When I heard those same phrases repeated over and over again, instead of agreeing, I cringed, only hearing assumptions that oversimplified a complicated issue.

At this meeting, I heard parents and students voicing the same concerns I had when I was in their position. Though well-intentioned, they lacked the necessary classroom experience and knowledge of educational research to make informed statements. There were also people saying things that were offensive to teachers, and outright false. 

Sometime in the last two years, the detracking initiative has, to many, become synonymous with scheming administrators and teachers determined to hurt M-A students’ education for the sake of, as one parent said, hitting all the “buzzwords: fairness, equity, justice, and climate change and whatever.” I want to address many of the points parents and students made at the meeting and explain why I—someone who used to think detracking was the greatest threat to my education—have reversed my perspective.

DETRACKING ROBS HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS OF OPPORTUNITY AND PREVENTS THEM FROM PURSUING THEIR PASSIONS

I understand how it can feel like there is loss when it comes to detracking, like your child who loves Chemistry or loves English will lose out if they don’t have access to AS Chemistry or AS English. 

In reality, though, AS classes don’t differ much from regular classes. The only difference is that AS classes typically have more homework and move faster, so they are either able to cover more topics or explore topics in slightly more depth. Students in MCLV read the same texts that students in AS English I did, just without the busy work. For example, AS English I students read the entirety of the Odyssey, while in MCLV students read 17 out of 24 books in it, omitting the extraneous parts of the text. Though there is technically ‘loss,’ it is insubstantial. The biggest difference between the two classes is that one has an ‘AS’ in front of it on your student’s transcript. 

Students in MCLV read the same texts that students in AS English I did.

Moreover, detracked classes are not a barrier between your child and their passions. If your child feels unchallenged in MCLV there is nothing stopping them from reading the rest of the Odyssey on their own or asking their teacher for additional reading recommendations. Multiple MCLV teachers offer additional assignments for extra practice. Teachers regularly report that nobody takes advantage of that opportunity. M-A is a school where every student can explore their interests; if your STEM child feels unchallenged, they can participate in the STEM fair or join our school’s incredible robotics team. If your history nut is bored, have them ask one of the upperclassmen teachers if they can participate in our National History Day competition. Though I’m biased, if they love English they can join our school’s fantastic journalism program. The idea that a student needs a teacher guiding them every step of the way to challenge themselves is damaging as it is both limiting and untrue. If your child genuinely wants to challenge themselves with more work, they have full agency to do so and will likely benefit from independently pursuing their interests.

Detracked classes are not a barrier between your child and their passions. The idea that a student needs a teacher guiding them every step of the way to challenge themselves is damaging as it is both limiting and untrue.

THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP IN TAKING AWAY OTHER ADVANCED COURSES

A common thing I’ve been hearing is that taking away a couple of AS classes is the beginning of a much larger plot to systematically remove all AS and AP classes at M-A.

To this, I ask you to please listen to the statement the administrators have repeatedly made: there is no plan to take away AP classes.

There is no plan to take away AP classes.

People preaching that this is the beginning of a much larger scheme are fear-mongering. This us vs. them mentality between parents and teachers and admin is hurtful to all involved.

DETRACKING WILL MAKE MY STUDENT LESS PREPARED FOR AP CLASSES; IT HURTS HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS

Again, this issue arises with the perceived difference between MCLV and AS English I: MCLV teaches the same skills as AS English I does—both classes prepare students for AP English classes. Moreover, taking an AS class does not substantially alter a student’s performance in AP classes. 

In addition to the above, an uncomfortable truth is that those coming from La Entrada and Hillview are already on the path to being successful in their AP English and Science classes. I wrote fewer essays during my freshman year than I hoped. I did not read the whole Odyssey. However, in-depth feedback and comprehensive lectures prepared me to do well in my AP Language class and AP Literature class. Likewise, recent data shows that students who took AP Chemistry without taking AS Chemistry received similar scores on the AP exam than those who had taken AP Chemistry with AS Chemistry. 

Multiple data points outlined in the district’s September report on detracking showed that detracking has little to no effect on high-achievers. 

Multiple data points outlined in the district’s September report on detracking showed that detracking has little to no effect on high-achievers.

The data also revealed that detracking has increased course enrollment in AP classes, so, detracking actually increases the number of students who feel prepared for AP courses and opt to take them. 

Separately, I’d argue that high-achievers benefit from detracking in an unquantifiable way. Education is not just about what you’re reading in a textbook or hearing in a lecture. Equally important is learning how to forge interpersonal relationships and gain a deeper appreciation and understanding for those who lead different lives than you. One of the beautiful things about M-A that makes it stand out amongst schools nationwide, and schools in our district, is our diverse student body. However, with tracking, many students don’t actually experience the diversity our school has to offer. By the time I got to junior year, I was back in classes half filled with my long-time peers from La Entrada and half with those I somewhat knew from Hillview. 

In all honesty, in my freshman English and sophomore science classes, I did not need intense academic pressure or more rigor. Trust me, there’s plenty of that in junior and senior year. What I needed was to expand my worldview, place my education in perspective, and learn how to be comfortable engaging with people different from me. 

Your high-achiever will not only have access to more AP classes they could take during their time at M-A, but will hopefully emerge from M-A a more well-rounded individual. The greatest asset to fostering camaraderie and empathy for your peers is daily face-to-face interactions, conversations, and experiences.

DETRACKING WILL HURT MY STUDENT’S CHANCES OF COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE

A parent at the board meeting said, “[SUHSD students] are competing with students from high schools all around the country that do offer honors classes. Please don’t put our kids at a disadvantage.”

The looming threat of college acceptance is often the biggest source of anxiety for high-achievers and in turn the greatest motivator in opposing detracking. But the idea that detracked classes will hurt your child’s chances of getting into a top-tier college is simply not true.

It’s no secret that colleges examine what courses students choose to take to evaluate how academically ambitious they are; they like to see that students choose to take the most advanced courses possible. An important aspect of this, however, is course offerings. When admissions officers examine course rigor, they compare your transcript to the courses your school offers. If your school doesn’t offer AS English I or AS Chemistry, they will not fault the student for not taking those classes.

When admissions officers examine course rigor, they compare your transcript to the courses your school offers. If your school doesn’t offer AS English I or AS Chemistry, they will not fault the student for not taking those classes.

Students at M-A also have ample opportunity to show their commitment to course rigor—M-A offers over 20 AP classes. Most high schools only offer 8. Removing two AS classes does not take away students’ access to a rigorous course load. In addition, we have an incredibly rigorous math pathway available, offering Multivariable Calculus on campus, whereas most schools in the district offer it only through Cañada College. 

M-A offers 18 AP classes. Most high schools only offer 8. Removing two AS classes does not take away students’ access to a rigorous course load.

Taking away AS English I and AS Chemistry will not be the difference between whether or not your child gets into an elite university.

THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC INEQUALITY THAN TO ‘BRING EVERYONE DOWN,’ LETS ‘LIFT EVERYONE UP.’

This argument was the reason I remained opposed to detracking for so long. I was always in favor of helping remediate systemic inequities, but not at the expense of hurting others’ education, as I would say. 

Though a well-intentioned idea, it is simply not a reality; simply promising to invest more resources into non-AS classes without making more substantial changes to the system that funnels students into distinct pathways has never worked. Half of our school enters M-A with a vastly different foundational education than the other half. Let’s hypothesize and say we create (another) intensive program to help students get back on ‘track’ in freshman year. Even if that happens, a precedent has already been set—from the onset, students feel assigned to their tracks. What student who just took an intensive English intervention course will feel like they should take, or want to take, AS English II, surrounded by others who they don’t know and who don’t look like them? Our education system, our district, and our school have failed members of the underperforming feeder schools for too long. As a public school, it is M-A’s responsibility to help everyone, and the best way to encourage those coming in from underfunded elementary education is to make them feel welcome in AP classes by removing that psychological barrier. 

It’s also a misconception that we’ve ‘brought everyone down,’ and continuing to use such phrasing is harmful. Teachers of detracked classes are trained in versatility and flexibility. They teach a room of students at all different levels and find ways to engage them all. Some students find the class harder than they would’ve liked, others find it easier. This is the case in any class. 

Separately, saying that you’ve ‘brought everyone down,’ is just explicitly offensive to many, as it insinuates that being in a blended class somehow tarnishes it. Bringing students together in a heterogeneous class is not ‘bringing people down,’ it is bringing people together.

Bringing students together in a heterogeneous class is not ‘bringing people down,’ it is bringing people together.

IF I STILL HAVE YOUR ATTENTION

At the September board meeting, people talked themselves in circles about reinstating honors class until 1 a.m. There was so much anger and distrust. 

After watching all of the board meetings on detracking in full, there were generally two types of public comments from parents: the concerns that were well-intentioned but had already been addressed by teachers and the outlandish and disrespectful claims. The latter implied or outright said that teachers don’t care about the growth of advanced students or that this was a result of a politically motivated scheme. Others implied that taking away honors classes was akin to condemning poor students to remain impoverished because honors classes were the pathways out of poverty. Another even went as far as to say that detracking was in contrast with American principles: “Why do you remove opportunities from children in the country which is supposed to be the land of opportunity?”

This issue is spiraling out of control. If nothing else, please put this issue back into perspective. Regardless of whether you believe the effects of detracking are negative or positive, the effects are still relatively minimal and certainly not a reason to be disrespectful to teachers and administrators.

It is always acceptable to be engaged in your child’s education and active in discussing education issues. However, it is not acceptable to expect teachers to listen to your concerns without you listening to them in return. Nothing in this article, other than my personal experience, is new information—teachers have been explaining, and re-explaining, these points for years.

When I see parents—after hearing the entire English department at M-A give public comment that MCLV’s rigor is similar to AS English I’s and adequately prepares your student for AP English classes—come forward and continue to say they’re scared about the decrease in rigor of courses, it starts to seem like they don’t actually care about having a discussion about detracking and are simply on a crusade to get that ‘AS’ on their child’s transcript. 

If that is not the case for you, if you genuinely are just concerned about course rigor, please trust teachers when they say you do not need to worry. They have degrees in education, are professionals in their field, and should be respected as such. Just as we trust doctors with our health, we should trust teachers with education. Although detracking may seem daunting or uncomfortable, it is backed by experts who use research to change our schools for the better. 

If you genuinely are just concerned about course rigor, please trust teachers when they say you do not need to worry. They have degrees in education, are professionals in their field, and should be respected as such.

Michelle Nayfack, a parent of a student in the district and, former district trustee for San Carlos School District, who has 20 years of experience advising public school districts, said at the board meeting, “I believe these changes help our students gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community, and their place within it without sacrificing their opportunity to challenge themselves as scholars.”

If you take nothing else from this letter, just know that the teachers here want their students to learn and succeed; they are not trying to sabotage anyone’s learning. Instead of turning hostile towards teachers if your student is unchallenged, ask them what you and your child can do outside of school to supplement their in-school work. In my experience, every single teacher at M-A would be more than willing to help. 

Detracking, at its worst, does not have much of an academic effect on anyone. At its best, it will help those who have historically been left behind enjoy and participate in the many academically-challenging courses at M-A, enriching everyone’s high school experience by increasing diversity in classrooms.

Detracking, at its worst, does not have much of an academic effect on anyone. At its best, it will help those who have historically been left behind enjoy and participate in the many academically-challenging courses at M-A, enriching everyone’s high school experience by increasing diversity in classrooms.

To all of you nervous overachievers and parents of nervous overachievers, I understand where you are coming from. I genuinely, truly do. But, as someone whom many call a ‘high-achiever,’ on the other end of things, detracking did not hurt my education. Looking back, I wish I had spent less of my freshman year complaining and more time utilizing M-A’s resources to explore my own passions.

It is for this reason that I urge you to take a step back and let teachers do their jobs. Detracking is necessary to help half of the population of M-A, and it will not hurt your child. 

Respectfully,

A student who never thought she would end up writing this piece

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story said that M-A was the only school that offered Multivariable Calculus in person. This has since been corrected.