Math curriculum changes pack meeting
CLINTON — Research into ongoing and upcoming changes to the math curriculum for Clinton schools packed Tuesday’s school board meeting with frustrated parents and teachers.
The concern seemed to come from a perception that administrators—without consulting teachers or parents—planned to choose a standards-based math curriculum rather than a more traditional curriculum for the middle and high school.
Standards-based curriculums invite students to explore math on their own. Traditional math programs rely on teachers and textbooks to define concepts and encourage memorization.
Many in the audience spoke against standards-based teaching and about the perceived lack of teacher and parent involvement.
“I’ve read that students who learned core (standards-based) math had a horrendous time transferring that knowledge to college learning,” teacher Stephanie DeLong said.
Others were frustrated that they haven’t been involved.
“It was impressed upon me by staff and parents that this program was coming whether we want it or not,” Jill Gunderson said, “I’m learning that maybe that’s not the case. But I ask that parents are included in the dialogue.”
Before the public comments portion of the agenda, District Administrator Pam Kiefert said district schools were in varying stages of math change:
n At the elementary school, the board in 2007 approved a new math curriculum that now is in place. District Curriculum Director Catherine Houseman said the curriculum at the elementary school is in between traditional math teaching and reformed math.
Kiefert said elementary school teachers are evaluating progress.
“There are some gaps with math,” Kiefert said. “What we’ll be doing at the elementary school is looking very carefully at what are those gaps.”
n At the middle school and possibly at the high school, money is available to buy new math textbooks, Kiefert said. Groups have been meeting to discuss what is needed and have been visiting other schools to see how math curriculums are working.
Kiefert has put a moratorium on writing curriculums to give teachers time for research, she said.
Kiefert told The Janesville Gazette that the district started its research in standards-based math, which could be causing the alarm.
“We already know quite a bit about traditional ways to teach math,” Kiefert said.
She said the district’s goal would be to include best practices from more than one teaching method.
Teachers, district agree to mediation
The Clinton School Board and teachers union have agreed to go into mediation in hopes of settling their 2007-09 contract, the board’s lead negotiator, Randy Gracyalny, said Tuesday.
Negotiators will finalize mediation plans today, he said.
Gracyalny said salaries and retirement benefits have been the sticking points to negotiations.
The two sides are optimistic that an outsider can help settle the contract, Gracyalny said.
The two sides issued a joint press release this morning, saying they have agreed on contract language items and a calendar.
The board’s latest offer includes an increase of 4.3 percent in salary and benefits combined for the current year and 4.2 percent in 2008-09. The Clinton Education Association’s last offer was 4.5 percent and 4.4 percent.
“Other items being discussed include health reimbursement accounts and retirement health insurance,” according to the news release.
Mar 5, 2008 at 4:16 p.m.
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Not everyone is smart enough to go college. Technical schools sure. It just takes some people a lot longer to learn. It used to be the best and brightest were accpeted to colleges. Now its literally who can afford to rack up some debt. Colleges don't care if you pass or fail they want your money.
10 years to learn math, well from start of school to finish of school when I was there that would cover 1st grade through 10th grade to get all the required math courses out of the way. At that point all the state wanted was algebra and geometry for graduation.
Trigonometry, Calculus, Statistics, Discrete math and a slew of other classes are considered college prep. Some even allow you from high school to test at the college level for credits.
Mar 5, 2008 at 4:07 p.m.
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The more ways you can teach the better. All students learn at their own pace. Usually it takes a different approach for most to understand the basic concpet being expressed.
Specifically in math classes in a middle and high school setting the bulk learn through repitition. Endless hours of teacher explaining evry problem has taken place to get some of the students onto the same page. I even ran into students who wanted to be viewed as "smart" were being passed in classes such as geometry trigonometry and even calculus.
This was due to teachers doing every single problem on in class due to a few students asking for help. Passing them each quarter/semester on the merits of having done the homework. Which they copied from the teacher or other students. They failed their tests and utterly lacked the ability to grasp the concepts and were pushed on in the course.
If any redesign should take place it should be on the level of concept understanding, not passing or failing a subject. Breaking the curriculum down into a few chapters in the book for a quarter. Passing people move onto the next set, failing students stay within the current set of chapters until they comprehend it. This even prevents the ending of a shcool year not covering the entire book because the class was too slow learning all the concepts.
It changes the all or none attitude for staying in one class all year. Into a easier progression for the bulk of students. Then you still set the goal of students having completed geometry as a condition of graduation. Or whatever the current standard is.
Quite a few of the brightest students unplug from slow learning accelerated classes.
Mar 5, 2008 at 4:02 p.m.
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"You see it takes about ten years to become an expert" Please expand on what point you are trying to make with that statement. High schools need good math programs to prepare students for college and technical schools. If they are not prepared when they go to college they are behind and have to make up their shortcomings. In four years in a high school with a strong math curriculum you can have a solid understanding of Algebra, Trig, Calc, and Statistics. This should allow you to continue uninterrupted in college for programs such as engineering, accounting, econ, teaching (Math) as well as a mathematics degree. So is your point that no one has the interest or "appreciation" for math in Clinton and therefore basic math can be ignored? I would like to hear a bit more on your theory.
Mar 5, 2008 at 3:37 p.m.
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As a professional educator I often find it these debates very interesting. The fact of the matter is that basic math makes parents and teachers feel good but does little to actually help the children. You see it takes about ten years to become an expert. Ten years is a long time and unless you have an appreciation for math it is unlikely you will stick with it. And then what was all that basic math for?
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