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That's my prediction.
We'll have balanced numeracy.
We're hearing "balance" here in Irvington; now the Washington state superintendent of education is talking balance ("To me, there's no fight," says State superintendent Terry Bergeson. "I agree with them. I don't know about all of the individual stories that they've told, but we need to have a better balance.")
Mark my words.
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"To me, there's no fight," says State superintendent Terry Bergeson. "I agree with them. I don't know about all of the individual stories that they've told, but we need to have a better balance."
This is a control issue. How can you argue against balance? Balance, by definition is always good. It's a way to end the discussion and make parents go away. Once they're gone, the schools get to decide all of the details. Just look at balanced literacy.
How can they define balance when they can't define "deep understanding" and they really don't like mastery? This is a turf issue. They are ignorant of math, but they will not allow anyone to have input in their world.
This is a control issue. How can you argue against balance? Balance, by definition is always good. It's a way to end the discussion and make parents go away. Once they're gone, the schools get to decide all of the details. Just look at balanced literacy.
Yup.
Unfortunately I wasn't at the meeting at which the new super made this comment.
The thing about "balance" is that these comments deconstruct themselves, in a way. The meaning is always: "We adults will compromise. I'll get some of what I want (constructivism); you'll get some of what you want (direct instruction, small caps or large)."
When you talk this way you implicitly convey the impression that your first concern is not student achievement, but is resolving a conflict amongst adults.
This is a turf issue. They are ignorant of math, but they will not allow anyone to have input in their world.
yes
This is why many parents here (far more than Ed and me at this point) are pushing for real experts on all committees.
Experts and parents who are non-experts.
I have to say this again: one of the principals said to Ed, after the board meeting at which parents scuttled the middle school model, that his problem was that he's been a historian for nearly 30 years.
Being a historian is the thing that makes him not comprehend educational progress.
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