I disagree with the administrator that teaching doesn't matter. I believe that in order for students to experience long-term success in mathematics, excellent teachers must be allowed to use excellent curriculum. With that said, I would agree that content plays a major role.
Please refer this administrator to Hung-Hsi Wu's website.
Of particular interest:
How to Prepare Students for Algebra, American Educator, 2001
Must Content Dictate Pedagogy? (2005)
And also to this great article by William H. Schmidt (2008)
What's Missing From Math Standards? Focus, Rigor, and Coherence
Agreed. And teachers should not be held accountable when forced to use--and adhere to--bad curricula.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's happening again in Camdenton MO...
ReplyDeletebut the parents caught on to it quickly!
http://concernedcamdentonparents.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-do-experts-say.html