I went to the middle school meeting last night.
The way the CC is affecting our district is that they are adding a year into the curriculum before algebra. There is no prealgebra class, just CC7 and 8. Turns out our district had this weird stop-gap class between algebra 2 and precalc that neither DH nor I took, and this is where you get the time back. The sum total effect on DD will then be that she gets 4 math classes on her high school transcript, not 5. So, no biggie for her.
BUT: From all appearances, the kids coming out of gifted elementary into junior high will take CC7 with the rest of the middle school population, such that they lose their cohort. This is the biggest loss to DD, as that cohort was her life line last year.
They are phasing in 2 acceleration paths for kids who don't qualify for gifted, the first combining 7,8, and algebra in 7th and 8th grades, and another by doubly up algebra 2 and precalc (but taking two periods a day, so material isn't presented faster). That first path won't be available next year, but otherwise a particularly talented kid coming out of the gifted program could presumably test into that for 6th and 7th grade, then finishing an additional year early. I suspect this is what we'll do for DS6 if he continues on his path of tearing through curricula.
It looks like Everyday Math's days are numbered in our district, so that now the primary concern is of that unknown.
Besides that, I left depressed by the amount of jargon being thrown around ("rigor" completely lacks meaning now as far as I'm concerned) and a variety of statements of what kids can and cannot do at a particular age. My loss of faith with certain members of my school admin when they informed me that my then second grader wasn't old enough to have sufficient metacognition to move any faster through the math curriculum.
I'll be going to the elementary meeting tomorrow. <Sigh>
