Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) has announced that Senate Bill 1410, a crucial piece of legislation ensuring that Algebra I (or Mathematics I) is offered but not required to all 8th-grade students in California, has been signed into law by Governor Newsom.
“I am deeply grateful to all the supporters and stakeholders who recognized the importance of this legislation and helped make it a reality,” said Senator Ochoa Bogh. “With the signing of SB 1410, we are taking a significant step towards ensuring that every student in California has the opportunity to excel in mathematics and achieve their fullest potential in STEM careers. Our students deserve nothing less than the best educational opportunities, and this bill is a testament to our commitment to their future success.”
This significant milestone comes as a response to the revised mathematics curriculum framework adopted by the California State Board of Education last year, which recommended that Algebra I and Mathematics I be taught in the 9th grade rather than the 8th grade. Such a shift threatened to limit students' opportunities to engage in advanced math courses, like calculus, and potentially hindered their pursuit of STEM/Mathematics-intensive majors in college.
Senator Ochoa Bogh, a steadfast advocate for educational excellence, championed SB 1410 to ensure that all students have the opportunity to build a strong foundation in mathematics when developmentally ready. The bill is designed to foster higher-level math skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities that are essential for success in STEM fields and beyond.
“It is tremendously valuable to offer algebra in middle school for all students with an interest to learn it,” said Brian Conrad, Professor of Mathematics at Stanford University. “This not only benefits individual students whose families cannot afford private options, but also benefits society as STEM workers of the future come from a more diverse range of socio-economic backgrounds. It is important to strengthen math skills of students coming out of elementary schools so that more of them can be ready for algebra in middle school, but SB 1410 is a crucial step in expanding opportunity and thereby providing real equity in public education.”
Dr. Elizabeth Statmore, a math teacher at Lowell High School in San Francisco said, “I am thrilled that Governor Newsom has signed SB 1410. This bill provides a strong, common sense guardrail that props the door open and protects Algebra 1 access for all of California’s 8th grade students. This is the first step toward making sure that all of California’s public school students can harness the power of a rich STEM education that will prepare them for California’s most exciting industries.”
A New York Post article recently noted the importance of mathematics stating, “The Defense Department has called for a major initiative to support education in science, technology, education and math, or STEM. It says there are eight times as many college graduates in these disciplines in China and four times as many engineers in Russia as in the United States.
‘This is not an educational question alone,’ said Josh Wyner, vice president of The Aspen Institute think tank. In July, the think tank warned that other nations are challenging America’s technological dominance.
“‘We are no longer keeping pace with other countries, particularly China,’ the Aspen report says, calling this a “dangerous” failure and urging decisionmakers to make education a national security priority.”
SB 1410 is a key component of Senator Ochoa Bogh’s comprehensive education bill package, which is dedicated to math reform and enhancing the quality of education across the state. Senator Ochoa Bogh remains committed to advocating for policies that empower students and prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.