The Russian School of Mathematics is an after-school enrichment program that teaches high-level mathematical topics to students from Acton and the surrounding communities. We have been established in this community for the past seven years, and have served a countless number of students in grades K-12. As of right now, approximately 1 in 12 students from the Acton-Boxborough school district attends classes at RSM Acton.
Although RSM Acton is a local business, we consider ourselves to be an educational facility, and we make the enhancement of grade-school math education our highest priority. Our mission is consistent with the ABRSD stated goal, in that we “prepare all students to attain their full potential as life-long learners, critical thinkers and productive citizens.” We provide students with invaluable opportunities both in and outside of the classroom. For example, we invite hundreds of students each year to compete in national and international math competitions at our facility, many of whom receive awards for their achievements (our Math Olympiad teams have placed in the top 5% in the nation for the past two years). We have also had the opportunity to employ a number of our students as math tutors at our school, providing them with beneficial work experience to add to their college applications.
As an after-school program that seeks to enhance math education, we strive to make our classes accessible to as many students as possible. We offer a variety of class times for each grade level in order to meet the needs of families with more strict schedules. We also provide partial scholarships to a number of students who may not otherwise be able to attend our program due to financial difficulties. Lastly, we have been able to offer RSM Acton as a bus stop from the elementary and middle schools in Acton to accommodate students who do not have other transportation options to our afternoon program. Our Main St location is conveniently located on currently existing residential bus paths, and does not require modifying the bus routes. Local realtors have noted that having after-school programs like RSM accessible by bus routes is an important consideration for families looking to move into the area, an important factor for the town of Acton because of its shrinking schoolchildren population.
Recently, the ABRSD transportation committee has proposed to change its busing policies to exclude businesses like ours from serving as a stop on Acton bus routes. We oppose the proposed changes because this would create transportation issues for many of our families and may preclude their children from attending after-school classes at our facility. We would like to request that the current busing policies remain unchanged so that we can continue serving the community with a high-quality math enrichment program that is accessible to all students.
Updates
June 10, 2015
I started this because I have seen firsthand how much my own students thrive when they are challenged beyond the standard curriculum. Hearing from parents who worry about their children losing this access confirms that we are fighting for something vital to this community. We are currently preparing our case for the next committee meeting and will not stop pushing until our presence as an educational partner is recognized.
June 10, 2015
Seeing this kind of momentum confirms that so many of you share my belief in the importance of our math programs. My own child has grown so much through this curriculum and knowing you are behind us makes this fight feel much less lonely.
Reached 100 supporters
June 10, 2015
36 Comments
Please don't go through with the proposal to change the bus routes. My family is dependent on my children being able to be delivered safely to guardianship while I work. Without this service my child would be unattended at home rather than participating in structured and beneficial learning. I know there are other families like mine who need to be at work during after school hours to pay the taxes that pay for the bus service in the first place
If this goes into action, many students will lose opportunities for enriching extracurricular activities. Organizations that provide these extracurricular services, even if they can afford it, do not have enough advanced notice to make reliable transportation arrangements for their students. As such, the change in the busing policy risks putting these organizations out of business, damaging not only Acton's local economy, but also the services it has to offer its citizens.
As a parent who works full-time outside of the Acton-Boxborough area, I depend on the school buses in order for my child to have any options for afterschool activities beyond what is offered by the district. In my view, eliminating this options discriminates against families who do not have a parent at home during the day to provide transportation.
The proposed school bus changes will make it very difficult for my kid after school activities. I work full time at cambridge. I can't drive her around after school everyday. I will have to quit my job. Thanks, Huili
We oppose the proposed bus changes to not drop kids at lunch local facilities especially RSM Thank you, Aruna and Nish
I am wholeheatedly in favor of this petition. Please do not punish children by depriving them of the many enriching after-school programs that they currently enjoy. Please do not punish families by forcing parents to choose between their careers and their children's personal development. Please do not punish local business owners who provide a valuable service to families and often rely on these programs to stay in business. One of the reasons ABRSD is a great district is because families have a wealth of choices for after-school programs. Please don't throw this great advantage!
We disapprove the new proposal of not dropping kids at local business which does not belong to after-school care category
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept iPetitions Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
The Russian School of Mathematics is an after-school enrichment program that teaches high-level mathematical topics to students from Acton and the surrounding communities. We have been established in this community for the past seven years, and have served a countless number of students in grades K-12. As of right now, approximately 1 in 12 students from the Acton-Boxborough school district attends classes at RSM Acton.
Although RSM Acton is a local business, we consider ourselves to be an educational facility, and we make the enhancement of grade-school math education our highest priority. Our mission is consistent with the ABRSD stated goal, in that we “prepare all students to attain their full potential as life-long learners, critical thinkers and productive citizens.” We provide students with invaluable opportunities both in and outside of the classroom. For example, we invite hundreds of students each year to compete in national and international math competitions at our facility, many of whom receive awards for their achievements (our Math Olympiad teams have placed in the top 5% in the nation for the past two years). We have also had the opportunity to employ a number of our students as math tutors at our school, providing them with beneficial work experience to add to their college applications.
As an after-school program that seeks to enhance math education, we strive to make our classes accessible to as many students as possible. We offer a variety of class times for each grade level in order to meet the needs of families with more strict schedules. We also provide partial scholarships to a number of students who may not otherwise be able to attend our program due to financial difficulties. Lastly, we have been able to offer RSM Acton as a bus stop from the elementary and middle schools in Acton to accommodate students who do not have other transportation options to our afternoon program. Our Main St location is conveniently located on currently existing residential bus paths, and does not require modifying the bus routes. Local realtors have noted that having after-school programs like RSM accessible by bus routes is an important consideration for families looking to move into the area, an important factor for the town of Acton because of its shrinking schoolchildren population.
Recently, the ABRSD transportation committee has proposed to change its busing policies to exclude businesses like ours from serving as a stop on Acton bus routes. We oppose the proposed changes because this would create transportation issues for many of our families and may preclude their children from attending after-school classes at our facility. We would like to request that the current busing policies remain unchanged so that we can continue serving the community with a high-quality math enrichment program that is accessible to all students.
Updates
June 10, 2015
I started this because I have seen firsthand how much my own students thrive when they are challenged beyond the standard curriculum. Hearing from parents who worry about their children losing this access confirms that we are fighting for something vital to this community. We are currently preparing our case for the next committee meeting and will not stop pushing until our presence as an educational partner is recognized.
June 10, 2015
Seeing this kind of momentum confirms that so many of you share my belief in the importance of our math programs. My own child has grown so much through this curriculum and knowing you are behind us makes this fight feel much less lonely.
Reached 100 supporters
June 10, 2015
36 Comments
As a supporter of local businesses and a previous teacher at Matthew Moncreaff's Martial Arts and Yoga Studio, I have seen first hand the positive impact that these after-school opportunities have had on the children who attend. To exclude local business from acting as bus stops, the ABRSD would decrease the accessibility of services that promote learning opportunities and physical fitness. Many families and children benefit from the current system, and the proposed changes will do nothing but harm the Acton community.
Please don't go through with the proposal to change the bus routes. My family is dependent on my children being able to be delivered safely to guardianship while I work. Without this service my child would be unattended at home rather than participating in structured and beneficial learning. I know there are other families like mine who need to be at work during after school hours to pay the taxes that pay for the bus service in the first place
If this goes into action, many students will lose opportunities for enriching extracurricular activities. Organizations that provide these extracurricular services, even if they can afford it, do not have enough advanced notice to make reliable transportation arrangements for their students. As such, the change in the busing policy risks putting these organizations out of business, damaging not only Acton's local economy, but also the services it has to offer its citizens.
As a parent who works full-time outside of the Acton-Boxborough area, I depend on the school buses in order for my child to have any options for afterschool activities beyond what is offered by the district. In my view, eliminating this options discriminates against families who do not have a parent at home during the day to provide transportation.
The proposed school bus changes will make it very difficult for my kid after school activities. I work full time at cambridge. I can't drive her around after school everyday. I will have to quit my job. Thanks, Huili
We oppose the proposed bus changes to not drop kids at lunch local facilities especially RSM Thank you, Aruna and Nish
I am wholeheatedly in favor of this petition. Please do not punish children by depriving them of the many enriching after-school programs that they currently enjoy. Please do not punish families by forcing parents to choose between their careers and their children's personal development. Please do not punish local business owners who provide a valuable service to families and often rely on these programs to stay in business. One of the reasons ABRSD is a great district is because families have a wealth of choices for after-school programs. Please don't throw this great advantage!
We disapprove the new proposal of not dropping kids at local business which does not belong to after-school care category
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 250 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept iPetitions Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
As a supporter of local businesses and a previous teacher at Matthew Moncreaff's Martial Arts and Yoga Studio, I have seen first hand the positive impact that these after-school opportunities have had on the children who attend. To exclude local business from acting as bus stops, the ABRSD would decrease the accessibility of services that promote learning opportunities and physical fitness. Many families and children benefit from the current system, and the proposed changes will do nothing but harm the Acton community.