to geom or not to geom

The inevitable question arises:

algebra, then geometry, then algebra II, OR

algebra, algebra II, then geometry


As a math department head long ago I liked the former route for accelerated kids. They could learn a little geometry before taking alg II/trig, which seems to make pedagogical sense, and I liked teaching pre-calc kids who had just taken algebra II. Smart ninth graders could handle geometry, and it was a nice break from all the equation solving they had been doing.

Less able kids, I thought, could do four years of math in five: alg I, alg II/no trig (and we always got a lot of entering ninth graders who entered with shaky algebra credentials; see the "my life as a math dog" post), then geom as 10th graders. If for some reason we changed our minds about these kids, they could take trig during the summer, then precalc and calculus. Otherwise after geometry they could take algebra II, which was a rehash of algebra II, then precalc. Almost everyone could manage this sequence, although we always had one or two for which we had to devise individual programs.

This is almost like arguing about which is better, chocolate or vanilla ice cream (or Barack or Hillary?), but we do want your opinions on this one!