Restore and Preserve Math Acceleration Opportunities in Belmont Public Schools

Background

The math acceleration program has been part of the Chenery math curriculum for over 30 years. Over 200 Belmont students have participated since 2011. Surveys and numerous testimonials from students, families, and alumni speak to the success and popularity of the program. The program has had a positive impact on the social-emotional well-being of students who have been otherwise under-served by the Belmont Public Schools in mathematics. The full history of the program is summarized here: https://tinyurl.com/math-program-history

In late 2019, following an effort by the BPS administration to end math acceleration at Chenery, nearly 200 concerned students, parents, and community members signed a petition to keep advanced math opportunities available to Chenery students. (view the 2019 petition) The clear demonstration of community support and the many testimonials of students who have benefited from the program convinced the BPS administration to reconsider. In January 2020 the BPS leadership formed the Accelerated Math Parent/Guardian Working Group to discuss options for the program.

Unfortunately, these efforts were a casualty of the COVID pandemic, as the BPS administration abandoned the engagement with the community in March. The Belmont Math Parents have continued to press to keep these opportunities for all students. The 2020-21 school year has begun, however, with no options available for math acceleration, despite our having offered several zero-cost proposals to the administration.

We are aiming to get the math acceleration program back on the agenda at a School Committee meeting in January 2021, in order to restore acceleration options for current Chenery 6th and 7th graders and to preserve opportunities for all future Belmont students.

Please indicate your support for keeping this valuable opportunity for Belmont students by signing the petition below, and please forward it to anyone else who you think would also be in support. A strong statement of support will show the Belmont School Committee and the administration that the Belmont community wants to keep this opportunity for all students.

Demonstrating continued broad community support is critical to this effort. It is important for you to sign this petition even if you also signed the original petition a year ago.