tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post1575252820939344981..comments2023-12-15T07:51:27.673-08:00Comments on Betrayed - Why Public Education Is Failing: Poverty NOT the problem with K-12 mathLaurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-33374726028430622262019-02-20T14:26:52.932-08:002019-02-20T14:26:52.932-08:00I couldn’t resist commenting. Very well written!I couldn’t resist commenting. Very well written!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-76732727025777679942011-04-15T17:30:56.599-07:002011-04-15T17:30:56.599-07:00This content ought to be praised as it makes us be...This content ought to be praised as it makes us believe as it true. I follow quite a few blogs but I have never visited such an amazing blog before. To tell the truth I love to follow your work as it gives me inspiration.And yes i have bookmarked your site betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-5464791254150021452011-03-22T20:24:50.467-07:002011-03-22T20:24:50.467-07:00Laurie -
You said:
"Our students are preven...Laurie -<br /><br />You said:<br /><br />"Our students are prevented from learning the mathematical skills that would help them rise out of their circumstances. Administrators blame poverty, while they add to the poverty problem. Rather than allowing these kids to learn to fish, they’re grooming them to accept a fish a day for the rest of their lives."<br /><br />It is a good observation and shared by people of Where's The Math. I studied the standard algorithms and I can see how that makes analysis a lot easier as the student moves to higher level concepts.<br /><br />However, missing from your analysis is the social concept. What are the social relations of society and how do they drive the education process? Do the current social relations require poverty for its sustenance?<br /><br />I'm holding a meeting on April 27th 7-9 pm in the Bellevue Public Library (Room 1) where we will create a citizen's committee to make our own plan for public education for Bellevue taking the interests of students, teachers and parents as the starting point.<br /><br /><br />thx,<br />thusharathusharahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09820727533887579134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-52875588666914366052011-03-19T12:10:59.068-07:002011-03-19T12:10:59.068-07:00Kathleen:
Thank you for writing.
My colleagues an...Kathleen:<br /><br />Thank you for writing.<br />My colleagues and I recognize that poverty is an issue in our schools, and it's increasing due in part to children not coming away from the K-12 system with the skills they need to be successful in postsecondary endeavors.<br /><br />We don't deny the existence of poverty, or its negative impact. We’re saying that poverty is not the problem with K-12 mathematics. The problem with K-12 mathematics is that our students aren't learning enough math. We don't blame teachers for that -- we blame the weak math materials and the insufficient amounts of direct instruction or practicing to mastery. Are these the ONLY problems? No, but they’re critical, and they are the problems we’re trying to fix.<br /><br />You can see the truth of this in the example I gave you about the million dollars and Lamborghini. I was making a point about the failure of the math materials. Fix the poverty problem, and you will still not have fixed the math problem.<br /><br />You have a unique perspective as a kindergarten teacher, and I know that you have particular challenges in that role. But if you look down the road at these students in middle school, high school, and postsecondary, you will see that the vast majority of them do NOT have the math and grammar skills they need. The ones who do, have received help outside of the system. THAT'S how wealthier families can offset the negative impact of the awful math materials.<br /><br />Understand that I am blaming the materials. I do not blame poverty. I do not blame teachers. I do not blame you. The materials are weak. The approach is failing. But your district leadership will not budge. Regardless of how hard you work for these kids in kindergarten, the ones who don't have parents to get them what they need are doomed.<br /><br />Please ... get angry about this. I'm angry about it, which is why I'm spending my days trying to tell people how they can help their children. Do you think the district sees me in a positive light? <br /><br />Nothing will change for these children, or for you, until people get angry. My anger simply isn't enough. I need you.Laurie H. Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-30743922519105430212011-03-19T11:48:30.553-07:002011-03-19T11:48:30.553-07:00The issues associated with poverty are not simply ...The issues associated with poverty are not simply a matter of money. It is not a car and clothing that makes the child able to come to school prepared to learn. Laurie, you have not been in my school. You have not seen our five year olds in our low income schools and the burdens they bring with them each morning to school. I am a kindergarten teacher. I do teach math well. However, you do not know the scars of poverty. Certainly I wish for resilient children that can garnish hope for their future. Home life and poverty effect how the brain processes information. We do not have enough counselors to heal our children from the abuse that poverty has given to them in their homes. The issue is not a matter of money. I am sad to say that Chris Cargill did not honor Logan Elementary where the school has made distinguishable gains in scores and is one of the highest schools in poverty in our state. We have a mentor school in Spokane Public School that we are watching and learning from right here in Spokane. Check it out.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11199377688623200502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-20493707939184025572011-03-19T07:17:47.187-07:002011-03-19T07:17:47.187-07:00That previous link didn't work, so here's ...That previous link didn't work, so here's another:<br /><br />Keep Fighting the Good Fight!!<br /><br />http://improvingmathed.blogspot.com/concernedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14374789062880735051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-16404496051004203872011-03-19T06:57:35.707-07:002011-03-19T06:57:35.707-07:00You nailed it AGAIN!!
Fight the Good Fight!
http:...You nailed it AGAIN!!<br /><br />Fight the Good Fight!<br />http://improvingmathed.blogspot.com/2010/06/fight-good-fight.htmlconcernedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14374789062880735051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-56348846349998555432011-03-15T17:23:21.969-07:002011-03-15T17:23:21.969-07:00Right as usual, Laurie! I am so sick of this excu...Right as usual, Laurie! I am so sick of this excuse "poverty is the problem". Poverty does not create a lack of education...a lack of education creates poverty. Instead of saying "if we could fix the poverty problem, we could fix the education problem", we should be saying "if we fix the education problem, we could fix the poverty problem"! Why don't they get it? Thanks for all you do!RWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-50304218633057640882011-03-15T12:43:18.288-07:002011-03-15T12:43:18.288-07:00It's very frustrating to know how to teach and...It's very frustrating to know how to teach and what to teach, but to be prevented from teaching!<br /><br />Hang in there and keep fighting...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-42314994320028699222011-03-15T08:53:09.147-07:002011-03-15T08:53:09.147-07:00A few points concerning your wonderful article:
1...A few points concerning your wonderful article:<br /><br />1. There has definitely been proven a correlation between socio-economic level and student academic success; however, many people automatically assume that this correlation is actually a cause-effect relationship. Such a stance is both faulty logic and purposeful deception; moreover, it becomes a crutch on which administrators may lean so as not to have to make the tough decisions for the sake of our kids. It's time we knock that crutch out from under them so that they (deceptive administrators) may fall.<br /><br />2. "Societies declining into obsolescence understandably resist looking forward and hang onto their past mythologies." (Joe Bageant) Our national educational society IS "declining into obsolescence" (the research is abundantly clear on this one), but we the people don't want to hear such negativity, especially from our leaders; in fact, those leaders become our leaders because they are prolific at publically denying such an obvious decline and can use rhetoric well in helping us hold onto our "past mythologies" of the excellence of the American public school system. It's time for us to wake up to the facts and stop being lead around by these pseudo-politicians so that we can start fixing the problems that plague us. <br /><br />3. From a high school English teacher, thank you for bringing grammar instruction (or lack thereof) into the conversation.<br /><br />Keep up the good fight!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-46742813230728448932011-03-14T21:00:50.337-07:002011-03-14T21:00:50.337-07:00Keep up the fight, Laurie! As usual, you are 100%...Keep up the fight, Laurie! As usual, you are 100% right on this. They just don't get it. I don't understand why-- is there some "secret iformation" that we just don't have? We are always Open, Honest, and Logical, we provide credible research, etc. and they are always secretive, backstabbing and passive-aggressive and give back nothing but lame excuses. I don't live in Spokane, but you could be talking about my district here in Oregon! Thanks again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com