Calculus AB and BC are one of the most challenging classes at Placer High School; students must remember everything that they learned in previous math classes. Since precalculus and trigonometry have been squished into one quarter on the four by four systems, students in calculus are having difficulties retaining information learned the previous year and it’s affecting their grade in the class. This affects students’ GPA and can make calculus more strenuous than it needs to be. Dean Pietromonaco, Placer’s calculus teacher, is fighting to bring back a full year of precalculus and trigonometry to better prepare his future students.

“Both community and four year colleges teach precalculus and trigonometry as two separate semester courses, so it doesn’t make sense that Placer is asking high school students to learn at a rate faster than college level,” stated Pietromonaco.

The four by four schedule rushes the pace that schools should be teaching precalculus and it is very stressful for students. Schools that do not run on the four by four schedule instruct precalculus and trigonometry as two separate courses; slowing the pace so that students are able to retain what they learn at a comfortable speed.

“At first I was stoked that I didn’t need to take an extra term of math before calculus, but now I wish that I had the extra time, calculus is a struggle without that information having been retained,” said senior calculus student Viktor Dorofeyev.

For students that took precalculus in the fall it is even more of a struggle for them in calculus. 70% of calculus is the mechanics that students learn in precalculus and trigonometry, the actual calculus is just developing insight and new concepts. Students may think that if calculus is mostly precalculus applications, that Pietromonaco should just spend more time reviewing precalculus; however, this subtracts from time needed to develop insight and teaches students that they don’t need to retain important information.

“This is a big deal. Not only are C average students having difficulties remembering mechanics taught in precalculus, but students that work hard are struggling with simple math. Students in my class need to learn strong study habits for college, and part of that is reviewing information learned in previous classes, if I review precalculus for them, students don’t learn the importance of retaining knowledge,” stated Pietromonaco.

Pietromonaco has tried to bring this issue to the attention of the district superintendent, Dave Horsey, and has received no response. The hesitation from Horsey is most likely due to the fact that an additional math class would subtract from other departments. Electives would lose students to trigonometry classes and money might need to be spent on a new math teacher. To avoid these issues, the course could be offered as a zero period class, that way a new math course will not cut into other classes. Just as Placer’s athletes train properly to be ready for future competition, students need to be properly trained for future classes. This issue will not resolve itself, it is up to the parents and students of Placer to make a change.