The Facts

Thanks to your emails, algebra will once again be offered in 8th grade. Nearly 350 GrowSF supporters emailed the district to demand a better math curriculum and the district has listened — partially.

Anna Bauman at the San Francisco Chronicle reports that SFUSD’s 2026-27 algebra proposal would let 8th graders choose between Math 8 and Algebra 1, or even take both at the same time if they want.

District staff said an updated Math Placement Policy will go to the Board of Education on March 24, 2026 to formalize 8th-grade algebra.

But here’s the catch: only two middle schools — Hoover and Alice Fong Yu — will implement the compressed 6th/7th/8th grade math pathway that prepares students for standalone Algebra in 8th grade. At every other middle school, students will be forced to choose between taking both Math 8 (pre-algebra) and Algebra simultaneously — losing an elective — or skipping pre-algebra entirely and going straight to Algebra.

The Context

In 2014, San Francisco made the horribly misguided decision to get rid of 8th grade algebra and force all kids into the same math class, even if they were capable of more. For over a decade, middle schoolers couldn’t take algebra.

SFUSD’s new plan reverses that 2014 mistake in name — but in practice, most schools still don’t have a clear pathway that works for students.

The GrowSF Take

This is a real victory: the district reversed a bad plan and committed to offering Algebra in 8th grade. That happened because 350 GrowSF supporters emailed in under 48 hours, and that pressure worked. Thank you.

But the job isn’t finished. Only Hoover and Alice Fong Yu will have the compressed math pathway that makes standalone Algebra truly accessible to all students. Every other middle school still leaves families with a hard choice: double up and lose an elective, or skip pre-algebra. We’ll keep pushing until every SF middle schooler has a real path to Algebra. Stay informed and keep the pressure on.