Students Appeal To BOE To Continue To Offer Multivariable Calculus As An In-Person Course

In a continuing parade of students defending programming at the high school. a group of math students appeared before the Scarsdale Board of Education on Monday March 10, 2025 to ask the Board to continue to provide a math teacher to teach a Multivariable Calculus class in person at the school.

The course is not in the regular math course sequence and was only available as an online option until last year when a math teacher was retained to teach the course. With the budget under pressure for the coming school year, the proposed 2025-26 budget returns this to an online course.

However the students advocated for the continuance of the in person course, citing collaboration, community and a better learning environment.

Here are excerpts from some of their comments:

Brian Zhou said he was concerned about the elimination of the course. He said, “Over 10 students want to take this course. Removing the course is like building a ladder and then halfway up removing the ladder. This is one of the most cost-effective classes we can run.
It builds a culture. A passion for learning is not just allowed, it is celebrated. It’s okay that not every student takes this course.”

Kevin Dong of 15 Elm Road said, “I understand and deeply respect the concerns raised about accessibility — that requiring students to skip a math level to reach Multivariable Calculus can create barriers. But removing the class altogether doesn’t solve the equity issue — in fact, it risks making it worse.

The proposed alternative — requiring students to take an outside course, such as those offered by CTY — comes with a price tag of $1,500 to $3,000. That is not an accessible solution.

Right now, Multivariable Calculus is a rigorous, in-person, teacher-guided class offered for free by our district. It is a pathway for students who are passionate about STEM, who have already completed Calculus BC, and who are ready for the next challenge.

Eliminating it would be closing a door that many students have worked years to reach.

If equity is the goal, then let’s work to expand access to advanced math — not remove it entirely.

It’s also worth noting that we already have courses in our school — such as advanced history or honors tracks — that require tests or prerequisites. We haven’t removed those classes because not everyone can take them. Instead, we’ve kept them. Why should math be any different?

Every student deserves the chance to be challenged and to grow. Let’s not take away an opportunity just because not everyone can access it right now. Instead, let’s commit to making sure more students can.”

Ada Langford, a junior from Stonehouse Road also supported the continuation of the Multivariable Calculus class at SHS.
She said, “I’ve always had a strong passion for math, and I love how rigorous and fulfilling our current math courses are. The challenges and depth in these classes push us to think critically and grow intellectually. Offering the Multivariable Calculus class would continue that path of academic rigor for me over all 4 years of high school. It would allow me and 9 other confirmed students to explore advanced topics and develop a deeper understanding of mathematics.

In addition to the many issues with the alternative online courses that Kevin outlined, I want to bring attention to one other important detail. I find the math teachers at SHS extremely passionate and knowledgeable, and I often go to them for extra help to get a better understanding of the material. Many times, I have gone to teachers to discuss how to apply the math we learn to other subjects or hobbies of mine, such as robotics. This outside-of-class help isn’t something that is as easily available if we were to take an online course.

In addition, there is a certain level of collaboration with peers that is hard to replicate in an online setting. Being able to work through challenging problems together, bounce ideas off each other, and build a deeper understanding through discussion is invaluable.”

Chen Lai of Potter Road said, “I have developed a strong passion for math since 2nd grade and the rigorous, comprehensive, and engaging curriculum for math here at Scarsdale really helped me pursue further in this area that I love.

As I go into my fourth year of high school, I would really want to continue this path of academic rigor that would allow me and 9 other equally passionate students to dive deeper into advanced topics and develop a deeper understanding of math, and we think that a Multivariable Calculus class here at SHS will be a perfect fit.

In addition to Ada’s comment, I also want to emphasize that one of the most exciting things about math class is the opportunity for discussion and in-person engagement. And that’s a big part of why I love math—because I get to collaborate with others, develop teamwork and problem-solving skills, and work through challenges together. The close relations with teachers here at SHS are also a fundamental thing that I value in my process of learning, as they are extremely accessible and helpful whenever I have any questions. However, the online course would simply fail to offer any of those.

Finally, I would like to note that this multivariable class isn’t just for me or for the class of 2026, but in the future it would also serve many more passionate SHS students who want to dive deeper into math. I’m a part of the Scarsdale Math Team, and I’m already seeing many underclassmen who would actively engage in math and would also be in the same position as us a few years later.
I think the continuation of the multivariable class shouldn’t be seen as a privilege to a certain group of people, but rather it fosters the diversity of Scarsdale because it shows that we care about every student who’s interested in math and is willing to provide the opportunity to let their passion grow just like we do for any other subject or sport.”

Resident Claudine Gecel of Kent Road said, “I want to support the students who spoke about math. When you visit some schools (colleges) –- they think a poor job is being done with math. We are not giving our students they background they need.”

Responding to the students, Superintendent Drew Patrick said, “This was the first year we assigned a teacher to the Multivariable Calculus class. Last year we did budget to add teaching support to a course that has long been available at SHS but through an independent study. In our proposed budget we are moving back to the independent course. We will continue to offer the four AT math courses, Stats, BC Calculus, AB Calculus and Linear Algebra.” Watch the meeting here.