The Washington Post reports that Prince George’s County Schools in Maryland will allow some 9th grade students to enroll in a two year algebra course in order to avoid their state graduation exam. There is nothing particularly newsworthy about the move, as I saw it happen more and more in Virginia public schools over the last few years.

On the other hand, I keep thinking about John Stossel’s Stupid in America report and know that those European kids would (rightly) scoff at American students taking two years to complete an algebra course.