Georgia educators and parents gave mixed reviews Wednesday to the state's mathematics curriculum as the state Board of Education prepares to give school districts the flexibility to choose what classes they offer.

The board is expected to vote Monday on a measure that would let schools decide if they want to offer integrated classes created by former state schools Superintendent Kathy Cox in 2008.

Current Superintendent John Barge campaigned last year on changing the state's math curriculum, saying the classes confuse some students and fluster teachers who had little training on the curriculum.

"Is there harm in allowing students to take the same rigorous curriculum but in a different approach? I don't think so," Barge told the board during Wednesday's monthly meeting. "If these requests that are before you are not approved, we could literally be closing the doors on the future of thousands of students by not allowing them to have a diploma."

The curriculum — which blends algebra, geometry and other math concepts in each class rather than separating them out — began with the freshman class of 2008, who are now 11th graders.

The board is considering letting thousands of those students who are at risk of not graduating because they can't pass their math classes count remedial courses toward their diploma.

Barge said up to 10,000 students may not graduate because of the integrated math, about 10 percent of the graduating class.

His plan would allow schools to use more traditional teaching, stay with integrated math or give districts the choice to create a mixture of the two.

Hall County Superintendent Will Schofield testified at the hearing in Atlanta and asked that the decision be left to local school districts.

"Anytime you can make a decision that puts more control in the school systems, the better the decision," Schofield said. "Quite honestly, with all the money we've spent buying materials, ramping up training and putting the integrated math in place, to stop midstream at this point for most of our students would be a mistake."

He added that any changes adopted by the board would only be in place for three years, when the state will join 40 other states in adopting a math curriculum under the Common Core State Standards.

Common Core, a state-led initiative, creates a uniform set of rules for states in math and English.

"That's not to be confused with a national curriculum where a group of people in Washington, D.C., make the curriculum," Schofield said.

"This was a compact between governors to work together so we have common metrics between our states."

Some teachers stuck up for the integrated curriculum at the hearing. Veteran teachers say the classes have only been around for three years and the state needs more time to see if they are effective, pointing to success stories of students who do well under the new classes.

"We cannot expect all of our problems to be solved in three years," said Julie Gibbs, a math teacher from Tift County. "Allowing local flexibility is not the answer. It will cause confusion among students, parents and teachers."

Gainesville High School math teacher Andy Miller said he also favors the integrated math approach.

"As a teacher I enjoy going across curricular lines," he said. "Students sometimes ask, ‘When are we going to use this?' It's good to show how algebra relates to geometry and to put them in a statistical model."

Miller added he's heard talk that the Common Core model will be similar to the math used today.

"I heard that the state curriculum was developed with the national curriculum in mind," he said. "That's why I'd prefer to stay with the integrated math."

Still, others at the hearing said the blended curriculum has no options for students who struggle with it. They said districts need to be able to teach those students traditionally rather than forcing them to be in the integrated classes.

Schofield said the district is considering options if the board grants flexibility. One plan would be to work with neighboring districts to create blended and online courses that offer traditional teaching methods.

"We'll see if that might create opportunities for some of our neighboring systems to work together and help those students that really struggled," he said.

Associated Press contributed to this report.