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The trend in using student test performance for teacher evaluation is one of the reasons that I'm sitting in a software development class right now. I spent the day administering retests for the state English exam that half the students failed last year. Half also failed the algebra and biology exams. I teach an advanced elective that will never be tested. I won't stay in teaching if I am going to be evaluated based on the scores that students earn on these tests.
Algebra is easy for smart people, challenging for slow people, and impossible for many of our students who come to high school on a fourth or fifth grade level in reading and math. I love my job, and my top students do fine, but the majority of our students are in the lowest of the low end on most every scale. Except singing, dancing, and playing basketball. There, we excel. Do our students deserve good teachers who will stay and strive to help them even if it means they will get bad performance reviews based on student scores? Or do they deserve to have a revolving door of TFA teachers who will hopefully fulfill their 2-year commitments before moving on to law school or whatever?
I hate to say it, but after 27 years, I'm not sticking around to have it stuck to me.
(BTW, I finished my 25-minute quiz in 10 minutes before logging on to C-D. No slacker here.)
The calculator should not be used as a crutch as it is in some schools and districts nationwide.
That said, I think that the introduction of the concept of a "variable" and some other basic algebraic thinking should be okay for students in upper elementary schools--provided they know their basic facts. If they don't, that must take precedence.
The variable is introduced in 6th grade. But not in depth, not in 6th grade.
It was the introduction of the "concept" of a variable. They are still struggling with multiplication facts and long division in 6th grade plus the concept of fraction math and common denominators.
Example:
John is 4 years old. Bill is 2 years older than John so Bill is 4+2.
John is x years old. Bill is 2 years older than John so Bill is x+2. We don't know John or Bill's age but if they told us one of their ages we can easily find the other age. And no matter how old John is Bill will always be 2 years older.
Personally I'm very skeptical of Common Core, particularly when noting some of the forces behind it (not just state educational leaders but also textbook companies, testing companies, etc.). Further I'm not sure I like the idea of one-size fits all for every state. I guess for Math and Language Arts the idea is somewhat more palatable, but it will never, ever fly for social studies or science.
Overall I also have a problem with more Federal government intrusion into something (education) that is Constitutionally supposed to be the purview of the states. There's something that doesn't sit right with me when these standards are supposed to be voluntary but the Federal government is twisting state's arms by withholding funding. I like what I heard a leader in Virginia say which, to paraphrase, was that whatever amount of money the government gives to fund these changes isn't going to cover all of the mandates that come along with it, and states are going to have to spend out-of-pocket for everything that is unfunded.
In regards to the teacher evaluations based on testing, this is quite problematic on a number of levels, perhaps the most important being that it isn't supported by research. Such a system is going to be very discouraging to a lot of good teachers/potential teachers and it's going to make filling positions in urban schools/districts difficult in the years ahead.
The variable is introduced in 6th grade. But not in depth, not in 6th grade.
It was the introduction of the "concept" of a variable. They are still struggling with multiplication facts and long division in 6th grade plus the concept of fraction math and common denominators.
Example:
John is 4 years old. Bill is 2 years older than John so Bill is 4+2.
John is x years old. Bill is 2 years older than John so Bill is x+2. We don't know John or Bill's age but if they told us one of their ages we can easily find the other age. And no matter how old John is Bill will always be 2 years older.
We introduce Variable (math) in 5th grade. They already heard it in 4th grade in science. So we are able to expand on that science knowledge and bring it into math. I tell my kids that it's really the same as the blank box that they first saw in 1st grade (2+1= / / )
It is a great idea that like most things is going to be implemented poorly.
We need a common core and a common pacing guide. So..folks study, more or less the same thing all year.
If we had that, we could have common text books where we could go from chapter one to n, in order and rationally, we could have common US DOE teaching aids, we could save tremendous amounts of money. And in today's mobile society, children could move from place to place with much less interruption.
I know everyone says NC is falling behind in education, but EVERY student I get (and I get a lot of new ones since we are adjacent to a major military base) is NEVER up to where we are. EVER. They are always W A Y behind.
As far as the subject matter, I don't see a big deal, in fact I see no deal at all. Yeah, we picked up a few things, lost a few things...if you can't deal with that, you have no business teaching.
I just wish it could be implemented in a win-win way. It is so easy if the education hierarchy was not totally FUBAR.
I do think it is humorous how the standards use such big and high faluting words. It is if educators are trying to be important. Pitiful, really.
With my background in special education as well as general ed, and having worked with disabled learners of extreme intellectual diversity, I'm fairly skeptical of any one-size-fits-all approach, and the implicit agendas therein.
While, I am not sure of how this will work, if they at least make sure that a course labeled as American History teaches the same concepts no matter which district you are working in, it would make things a lot easier on our mobile student population.
For math in particular, algebra I is algebra I. A teacher in the next state or county ought to be able to count on the fact that what was covered in another state is the same as what was covered in her state.
With my background in special education as well as general ed, and having worked with disabled learners of extreme intellectual diversity, I'm fairly skeptical of any one-size-fits-all approach, and the implicit agendas therein.
Why would you be skeptical of one size of, say algebra, or even pre-algebra, fits all? These concepts are universal.
Teachers, what are you thoughts about the new Common Core standards? Any praise or criticism at this point?
I'm not lovin' it. I had hopes that it would be a good thing, but I am just frustrated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clevelander17
Overall I also have a problem with more Federal government intrusion into something (education) that is Constitutionally supposed to be the purview of the states. There's something that doesn't sit right with me when these standards are supposed to be voluntary but the Federal government is twisting state's arms by withholding funding.
I wish more people would realize this. Teachers, by and large, tend to be pro big, federal government (Why is that??).
Most of the problems we are seeing now is because of federal mandates and threats. Education should be very localized. No committee in Washington is smarter, brighter, or more knowledgeable about education in my state than the people of my state.
I'm not lovin' it. I had hopes that it would be a good thing, but I am just frustrated.
I wish more people would realize this. Teachers, by and large, tend to be pro big, federal government (Why is that??).
Most of the problems we are seeing now is because of federal mandates and threats. Education should be very localized. No committee in Washington is smarter, brighter, or more knowledgeable about education in my state than the people of my state.
Unfortunately, that is not true about Texas. To be honest, I don't think that the curriculum should be local. Our society is mobile and families move especially when the economic situation means you need to move to get a good job. While the methods of teaching should fit the local culture, the actual subject matter needs to be standardized in the entire country. Note that almost every other first world country does have a national curriculum. Also, imo, subjects need to be standard in what is covered. If you move from Missouri to New York and you have had an Algebra I course, the geometry teacher in the new state ought to be able to count on what was covered in your Algebra I course.
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