Bruce Ramsey's column on Where's The Math?, and their meeting with Terry Bergeson.
Here's a sample:
"You have my solemn promise on the use of algorithms," said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson. "At least one has to be one that parents recognize from their early days."
An algorithm is a way of solving a math problem. "Add the columns and carry the tens" is an algorithm. Bergeson was promising that some of the ways your child is asked to solve math problems will be recognizable to you.
She was speaking last Saturday in Tukwila to a citizen group called Where's the Math (www.wheresthemath.com). This King County group has risen in opposition to the "lattice method" of multiplication, the "partial products" method of division and other projects of the "fuzzy" or "reform" mathematics.
What's wrong with the column? Not much. His definition of algorithm would not satisfy Donald Knuth or even Wikipedia. Where's The Math is a Washington state group, not a King County group, though most of its activity has been in King County. He calls the kind of math teaching that Where's the Math opposes "reform" or "fuzzy"; a better label would be "constructivist", since there are many reform methods in math teaching. Education professors generally favor constructivist approaches, as Ramsey suggests, but professors that use and create mathematics often prefer more traditional approaches.
Those quibbles aside, let me say that I am pleased to see the Seattle Times paying attention to this issue. I won't even tease them about being scooped by a humble blog here and here. The Times may have been slow to pay attention to this group and this issue, but anyone who cares about Washington's children will be delighted to see this column.
Posted by Jim Miller at December 12, 2007 02:42 PM | Email ThisIt saves a bundle of money when OSPI does the work of developing curricula, rather than having every school district muddle through producing their own. By creating a pool of options OSPI achieves this without undercutting local control.
Posted by: Alex Hays on December 12, 2007 03:34 PMThe first draft of the new standards are almost as bad as the olds ones. One 3rd grade standard reads: "Demonstrate the inverse relationship between multiplication and division by using physical models or diagrams, or by acting out situations to undo a multiplication problem with division and vice versa."
The entire document of standards reads like this. One can only hope the student will discover a recognizable algorithm while they're acting out multiplication in class.
Shalimar
Co-Founder Where's the Math?
2. Public schools are losing students and more importantly, the activist parents of those students who agitate, lobby, and push for the education of their children and make the education of all children better.
3. Where is the Math is pushing for the correct standards.
Posted by: WVH on December 12, 2007 11:45 PMAfter a few years and after a few years of the constant hammering, you need a break.
As long as the Shark is back for the next election, I will be happy. That means March or so.
After talking to many mayors and politicians who thrived with all the pressure they were under, they were quite surprised than when they quit, lost an election, or whatever, they couldn't understand all the abuse they subjected themselves to under the guise of public service. (Note: this does not extend to state or federal office)
Let's give Stefan his time off and hopes he comes back.
Posted by: swatter on December 13, 2007 07:12 AMWhat is happening at the state level is also happening at my district level as well. I am in Edmonds School District, and I was happy to hear last year that they will be choosing new math curriculum (They currently use TERC and other constructive math). They want parents to get involved in this process, but they also announced that we will be choosing from four curriculums and they are all based on 'constructive math'. Including Everyday Math and new versions of TERC.
Did they not hear (or not care) about our original complaints??!! Constructive math is what we are trying to get away from, and TERC and Everyday Math are the worst!
My seventh grade son is stuck in a math class that insists that he work in a group. They work on one story problem a day. They discuss, draw charts and then they collectively write out a solution and present it to the class. Sometimes his math homework includes writing an essay about how he could have communicated better with his peers. Very little math is taking place!
I have asked the teacher about this, and he had the nerve to tell me that I will thank him for all this essay writing in math class when the WASL comes around because he is teaching the skills needed on the WASL.
I am seriously thinking about boycotting the WASL this year if it is responsible for the terrible math curriculum.
Posted by: Holy Cow on December 13, 2007 09:16 AMAlso, 9th graders can take the 10th grade WASL. It counts as one of their tries. It's a good early warning in case you are worried he/she might not pass it to graduate. My 10th grader is now done with the reading and writng parts.
Posted by: westello on December 13, 2007 02:01 PMI would suggest posting your comment here:
http://blog.usefulwork.com/cgi-bin/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=9788
Posted by: Holy Cow on December 13, 2007 05:07 PMAlgorithms are not the problem, its content. The majority of kids are taught lattice multiplication. In 1202, this algorithm was used for multiplying small whole numbers. Its since been replaced by better algorithms.
Public school children don�t learn long division. Even the reviled WASL requires students to multiply and divide with decimals and mixed numbers. Children don�t learn operations with fractions, because its not found in standardized textbooks.
Children in private schools learn traditional math. They are proficient with fractions. They�ve been taught �traditional� algorithms 3-4 years longer than a child who�s attended public school. A public school child cannot solve the simplest of algebra problems. They use different textbooks.
Pacifying the public with rationalizations is dishonest. When OSPI praises math reform they neglect counting the thousands who drop out of high school or fail college. Standardized math reform is a hoax and contributes to the current racial disparity in education. Washington�s citizens are paying dearly. Bergerson�s answer � Implement three substandard math programs � is unworkable and insincere.
It is undeniable that standardized textbooks have had a devestating impact on the education of minorities. A Hispanic has less than a 10% chance of finishing high school where he started and its primarily because he can't understand the math textbooks. Learning without thinking is useless; Thinking without learning is dangerous.
Bergerson and all her crew should resign. Get out of education once and for all. Religion has no place in public education. Let them go teach in Holland or France with Guy Brousseaux and the other Social Democrats. Let them really see what kind of violence their kind stirs up in the streets. Agnostics are crowd pleasers, they'll say that they're an advanced race of humans, and the process for education is all kept a secret while they're in charge, but you'll always hear about the results - they don't mind climbing on the backs of poor people. social stratification through racial purity.
These are prime aholes. Put them in jail where they belong and get back to educating our kids. If not, then I guess a fool and his money will soon be parted. The people you hired to run Seattle City Schools come from some of the most corrupted school districts in the US. If you watched San Diego, Austin, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Denver crumble, you will understand what I'm talking about. You've given the power to do what they want with funding. Its only time that will show Washington what they got for in return.
It shouldn't be long before you see the results of Santorno's handiwork take a piece out of Seattle. Lazaronni charlatans, that's what these people are - their underhandedness will decimate public schools and serve their own selfish political and religous reasons. And by the way they'll get rich doing it too. Alvarado and Birsin, that's the blueprint for the pair that's running Seattle. Absolute corruption at the highest level.
Someone should look at how Edmonds slanted their test scores by moving students to a new alternative school. That should make their new Curriculum Director look real good - I wonder what superintendent he'll be replacing. Listen to these miracle workers, you'd think all of this was exciting, except most of it isn't true - its all staged. Completely faked and kids in washington are about as smart as they were in 1200 AD.
Posted by: Al Rode on December 19, 2007 12:32 PM