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Cambridge School Committee candidates all agree that the district’s limited Algebra 1 offerings are a problem. They just disagree on how to fix it.
Sixteen candidates joined the Cambridge Advanced Learning Association for a Monday night forum, where grade-level learning disparities in math courses — particularly Algebra 1 — took center stage.
Algebra 1 has been a hotly debated topic in Cambridge for decades. The district has long worked to offer Algebra 1 to every eighth grade student, but doing so while accommodating for differences in preparation has proved difficult. The School Committee promised in 2023 to expand access after parents voiced concerns that the system was inequitable, but ultimately delayed Algebra 1 for all until 2026.
Incumbent Richard Harding Jr. said he was concerned that Algebra 1 is still not a universal course.
“I do not know how the district stopped serving algebra to each kid,” Harding said. “This is ridiculous, and we ought to talk about it.”
Challenger Eugenia Schraa Huh offered a potential answer to Harding’s query — she said the district simply is not preparing its students in elementary school to take Algebra 1 in eighth grade.
“Long term, CPS needs to invest in improving elementary math instruction,” she said.
Challenger Luisa de Paula Santos agreed with Schraa Huh’s assessment, saying that she is focused on “improving learning conditions” in earlier grades to make Algebra 1 more accessible.
“True oversight means investing in the pathways such as ensuring every fifth, sixth and seventh grader has access to the high-quality math instruction that prepares them for algebra, not just creating a gatekeeping mechanism for eighth grade,” she said.
Candidates also referenced how they plan to implement and use different parts of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports — an educational framework that CPS and districts around the country have adopted to address academic, behavioral, emotional, and social needs of students.
The MTSS is divided into three tiers, with the first focused on Core Instruction, followed by Targeted Group Intervention and Intensive Individualized Intervention. The system is pyramid-shaped, with each tier representing a fewer number of students who receive more targeted instruction. Each tier provides increasing support for students, including more instructional time and smaller student-to-teacher ratios.
Candidates advocated for more investment in the second and third tiers because of the district’s preexisting investment in core instruction.
“We have invested heavily in our general education, teaching and learning, professional development, especially in the past few years,” challenger Lilly Havstad said.
Incumbent David Weinstein proposed a new idea altogether: targeting investment at the second tier of the pyramid to accommodate small-group instruction for advanced students to challenge themselves.
“I’ve been advocating for us to look at it as a diamond, including level one, two, and three interventions for students ready for additional challenge, and knowing that there are children who are twice exceptional and that they may benefit from supports in some areas while needing advanced learning support in others,” Weinstein said.
Before the forum ended, candidates also briefly touched on attrition in the district, with many saying that families are flocking to charter schools because they want increased academic and social opportunities.
“I think that we see families leaving the district in increasing numbers following the Covid-19 pandemic because independent and charter schools are offering things that we’re not offering,” challenger Caitlin E. Dube ’05 said.
“They’re offering advisory programs, they’re offering small class sizes, they’re offering project-based learning. They’re offering to meet students where they are,” added Dube, a former Crimson Magazine contributor.
A recording of the forum will be made available on the Cambridge Advanced Learning Association’s website, and School Committee elections will be held on Nov. 4.
—Staff writer Christiana P. Foufas can be reached at christiana.foufas@thecrimson.com.
