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In reply to the discussion: Obama needs to call Arne Duncan out for his new tactics for special education students. [View all]Android3.14
(5,402 posts)That was my first certification. I've also taught the class, Mathematics For Elementary School Educators, to college students working towards their certification.
A math teacher can teach algebra to students of almost any age and capability. If the state required this (and I would love to see actual proof that the state was forcing teachers to teach the Fibonacci sequence to students with Down's Syndrome) a math teacher can still teach appropriate algebraic concepts based on the cognitive development of the student.
The state didn't make you teach the conic sections (parabola, hyperbole, circles, ellipses) to these special needs students. That would prompt a lawsuit so fast it would make a district's head spin. But you can teach more basic algebraic concepts, such as the concept of a symbol taking the place of a number, along with the fundamentals.