tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post5415370207321876388..comments2024-03-26T04:19:38.862-07:00Comments on kitchen table math, the sequel: a teacher - mom on Everyday MathCatherine Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-89985516798267101052009-05-26T10:13:29.867-07:002009-05-26T10:13:29.867-07:00Just wanted those of you in Palo Alto to know that...Just wanted those of you in Palo Alto to know that you have friends down the peninsula who will be sharing your math experience next year. Turns out that the Saratoga school district has adopted Everyday Math for 3rd - 5th grade. I am NOT looking forward to this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-25104531781421510222009-03-18T14:39:00.000-07:002009-03-18T14:39:00.000-07:00What I've seen is that when teachers or admini...<I>What I've seen is that when teachers or administrators here decide to add "rigor," they simply make classes hard & give kids assignments that are complex and over their heads.</I><BR/><BR/>I would add that high school teachers were basically told that the ones with higher GPAs were not offering a rigorous enough course.<BR/><BR/>The possibility that proper teaching and assessment was going on was not a possibility in anyone's opinion. Common consensus among the administration and staff was that the teachers with higher averages were offering fluff courses. <BR/><BR/>My child was in one of those courses and I know for a fact that the teacher who offered it has made his course more difficult to alleviate the perception that he was easy. The kids are learning less this year because he has sped up his class and added test questions that were very tricky (we spoke about this and I don't feel comfortable naming him) and he is seen as more rigorous.<BR/><BR/>He feels safer in his job, the students lose out on a teacher who taught, and the system is propped up on the smoke and mirrors of statistics.<BR/><BR/>ArrgghhhAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-78237024782843015932009-03-18T13:34:00.000-07:002009-03-18T13:34:00.000-07:00Here's the comment I left at the Palo Alto site:It...Here's the comment I left at the Palo Alto site:<BR/><BR/><I>It sounds to me like the school board is the one who has spent five minutes on Google to find out about Everyday Math--and they only visited EM's website. The school board really should have done more homework. Why didn't they talk to the school districts that have dropped Everyday Math to find out why they did so? Did that occur to anyone? Or were their minds already made up? Is anyone on the school board reading these comments who wishes to answer that? Thank you in advance.</I>Barry Garelickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01281266848110087415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-54710379613872148552009-03-18T11:45:00.000-07:002009-03-18T11:45:00.000-07:00I definitely hear pressure talk everywhere ---- al...I definitely hear pressure talk everywhere ---- although, as I'm thinking about it, around here I hear it more from the administration than from other parents.<BR/><BR/>The superintendent told my husband and me that Irvington parents "pressure" their kids and it's "sad."<BR/><BR/>This was her explanation for why kids in the accelerated math course were copying each other's homework.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-27748439140993213712009-03-18T11:18:00.000-07:002009-03-18T11:18:00.000-07:00RMD,I see that, too. In fact, yesterday I ran int...RMD,<BR/><BR/>I see that, too. In fact, yesterday I ran into a new neighbor who has a middle-schooler. I was telling her about the high school and the different levels there when she immediately said that she didn't want to "pressure" her son. Then, she went on about how we're all putting too much pressure on our kids and that they need to have more fun.<BR/><BR/>I then just decided to keep all the info I had to myself. <BR/><BR/>She will probably find out very soon that in a public high school there are plenty of classes with "no pressure."<BR/><BR/>SusanSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-60583780642205298452009-03-18T10:06:00.000-07:002009-03-18T10:06:00.000-07:00I agree - every line of her comment was fantastic....I agree - every line of her comment was fantastic. <BR/><BR/>Although I don't think I've seen the phenomenon you mention amongst parents around here.<BR/><BR/>Parents here worry (& I agree) about becoming Scarsdale: they don't want their kids ground down by ferocious competition & round-the-clock grade grubbing, etc.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, since no one in my district is interested in precision teaching or Direct Instruction or Keller Method (etc.) that is a valid concern.<BR/><BR/>What I've seen is that when teachers or administrators here decide to add "rigor," they simply make classes hard & give kids assignments that are complex and over their heads.<BR/><BR/>My district has essentially no concept of teaching material step by step.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-78480796745679407592009-03-18T09:54:00.000-07:002009-03-18T09:54:00.000-07:00I love the last comment: "Shouldn't we be reaching...I love the last comment: "Shouldn't we be reaching rather than bending, here?"<BR/><BR/>I find this with many parents I come in contact with. They are afraid that "reaching" will somehow harm their children (I'm serious!), and make them "too" smart. Or, they don't understand that their children are a lot more capable than schools let on.<BR/><BR/>I still don't understand it all.RMDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08625944233681296812noreply@blogger.com