Comments on: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: Teach the Basics http://educationmatters.us/2006/09/13/national-council-of-teachers-of-mathematics-teach-the-basics/ Reform Education because Education Matters. Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:37:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: site admin http://educationmatters.us/2006/09/13/national-council-of-teachers-of-mathematics-teach-the-basics/comment-page-1/#comment-11294 site admin Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:25:34 +0000 http://educationmatters.us/?p=658#comment-11294 Dave, you just made a wonderful case for funding the child and not funding the bureaucracy. The Administrators would not latch onto fads if they were held accountable by parents taking their money elsewhere. They would have to ensure their teachers were competent and teach effectively. Funding the child would also reduce the number of administrators if you follow the New Zealand model and abolish the school district. Principals could then allow teachers more freedom if they were competent. They could attract better teachers and pay them more because if they had good teachers the students will follow. Dave, you just made a wonderful case for funding the child and not funding the bureaucracy. The Administrators would not latch onto fads if they were held accountable by parents taking their money elsewhere. They would have to ensure their teachers were competent and teach effectively. Funding the child would also reduce the number of administrators if you follow the New Zealand model and abolish the school district. Principals could then allow teachers more freedom if they were competent. They could attract better teachers and pay them more because if they had good teachers the students will follow.

]]> By: Dave http://educationmatters.us/2006/09/13/national-council-of-teachers-of-mathematics-teach-the-basics/comment-page-1/#comment-11293 Dave Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:14:05 +0000 http://educationmatters.us/?p=658#comment-11293 My school district has started using Everyday Math. It's a fine program for 80% of the population. The other 20%, those on the left end of the bell curve, those I teach, do need a more direct approach to teaching basic skills. I simply close my door and do it. The problem with most public school teachers: an ingrained fear that Big Brother is watching them. And a strong sense that being too liberal in their approach to teaching is a bad idea. You see, your average kid in an average school will learn the basic skills, provided they're taught in a competent manner. It is not rocket science. What is rocket science is how to reach the other twenty percent (or thirty or forty depending on the needs of your district). Again, competently trained teachers can do this if given a little leeway and the resources they require. The problem with schools today starts mainly with the principal and works its way up. The vast, vast majority of teachers do what is best for kids, but their efforts get stymied by misguided administrators who latch on to all the fads that come their way. That's how it works in my school, and many others. The remedy: simply let teachers do their job. Respect their professionalism. My school district has started using Everyday Math. It’s a fine program for 80% of the population. The other 20%, those on the left end of the bell curve, those I teach, do need a more direct approach to teaching basic skills. I simply close my door and do it. The problem with most public school teachers: an ingrained fear that Big Brother is watching them. And a strong sense that being too liberal in their approach to teaching is a bad idea.

You see, your average kid in an average school will learn the basic skills, provided they’re taught in a competent manner. It is not rocket science. What is rocket science is how to reach the other twenty percent (or thirty or forty depending on the needs of your district). Again, competently trained teachers can do this if given a little leeway and the resources they require. The problem with schools today starts mainly with the principal and works its way up. The vast, vast majority of teachers do what is best for kids, but their efforts get stymied by misguided administrators who latch on to all the fads that come their way. That’s how it works in my school, and many others. The remedy: simply let teachers do their job. Respect their professionalism.

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