Math stumble at renowned Jefferson High

Jay Matthews:

Several students at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County noticed their linear algebra teacher was struggling this semester. They said he made mistakes, erased his work without explanation and seemed confused.

Then it got worse. He quit in mid-March. The administration had to scramble. Retired math chair Jerry Berry, with no experience teaching linear algebra, kept an eye on student progress while a George Mason University graduate student provided the instruction. The graduate student look a leave when his wife had a baby. Another graduate student replaced him. A substitute teacher without much linear algebra experience replaced Berry as supervising teacher, telling students he would do his best.

This happens in regular schools, but Jefferson is the least regular school imaginable. It is our nation's most selective high school, with an average SAT score of 2,218, serving a broad swath of Northern Virginia. It is known for its great faculty and splendid equipment. "Multiple teachers is not ideal, and almost unheard of at TJ," said Myra Spoden, who teaches other linear algebra classes at the school.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 10, 2012 1:38 AM
Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas