tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post6765835112375292956..comments2023-12-15T07:51:27.673-08:00Comments on Betrayed - Why Public Education Is Failing: Seattle teacher discusses the challenges teachers faceLaurie H. Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18367210923946752695noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-54637523763562621492014-03-22T03:32:21.583-07:002014-03-22T03:32:21.583-07:00Thank you for sharing this insightful post. We nee...Thank you for sharing this insightful post. We need more teachers sharing their pedagogy. I am curious to know how long it takes you to grade assignments and offer meaningful feedback? I hope you continue share.<br /><a href="http://www.tutorpace.com/" rel="nofollow">Tutorpace</a>.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15322853456861202815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-13469803065953533412012-07-16T14:48:56.602-07:002012-07-16T14:48:56.602-07:00Many people in this country accept mediocrity and,...Many people in this country accept mediocrity and, in fact applaud it, because at that level the undereducated (not "un" educated) find their niche in society. The media and others make us think that most Americans fall into this group. They turn their noses up at intelligence and thoughtful work. Unfortunately, elevating a society based on the lowest common denominator is folly, shortsighted, and an affront to American values and equality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-20897020943616502442011-07-18T09:31:30.177-07:002011-07-18T09:31:30.177-07:00Thank you sincerely, Laurie, for the excellent dat...Thank you sincerely, Laurie, for the excellent data on Spokane Public Schools.<br />I work with new freshmen at a public university and have observed everything you mention in terms of low AP scores (no college credit earned), and the astonishing need for remedial courses -- especially in math.<br />What horrifies me is how accepting everyone is of this pitiful situation.<br />Your work is critical to making citizens, parents, and students aware of the need for action in both the public and personal spheres.<br />It would be good to have The Inlander do a monthly "Education Update" column to stimulate public awareness, debate, and action.<br />I now talk with everyone I meet about public education, and especially about math competency. Change will take awareness and effort.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-80728019149509636722011-07-08T23:10:20.378-07:002011-07-08T23:10:20.378-07:00Constructing my own learning:
I teach math at a c...Constructing my own learning:<br /><br />I teach math at a community college. Recently, during final exams I was looking at some problems on-line and came upon one that involved parametric equations. It's probably been at least 10 years (if not 20) since I did any work with these, but I remember them as being useful, challenging and enjoyable, so I decided to figure out the problem without looking at any resources.<br /><br />The question was something along the lines of "If the equation of a line is given by the parametric equations y=t+5 and x=t+7, find the slope of the line."<br /><br />Because the question focused on slope I began to figure x1=t1+7, x2=t2+7 and the same for y1 and y2. Then I used this to calculate the slope using the standard slope formula and got an answer of 1 which is correct BUT ALSO HUGELY INEFFICIENT.<br /><br />Luckily the final I was giving had another hour or so to go. As I was standing there, I remembered more of what I knew about parametric equations and realized two things - 1) I could simply plug in values for t1 and t2 and come out with the slope or 2) substitute the value t=x-7 into the equation for y and have a simple x,y equation with the slope easy to identify.<br /><br />A deep understanding of a concept allows someone to answer a broad range of questions about that concept.<br /><br />The "discovery learning" constructivist approach often leads to the type of inefficient solution that I intially "discovered." A solution that answers the question but doesn't really do any more than that - and most students won't have the time that I did to finally realize some of the overarching concepts for the problems they're being asked to solve.<br /><br />This is the purpose of teaching and I am constantly amazed at the so-called educators who can't seem to grasp the importance of this.<br /><br />I left high school teaching about 12 years ago because of the reform movement. I can only hope that people wake up and restore integrity to public education before it's too late.<br /><br />BTW, now at the community college level, we're seeing a "crisis" in developmental math because all the students who have been taught using reform math over the past 10-15 years are arriving at college unprepared for college math.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-40901866511862810742011-07-08T14:14:56.786-07:002011-07-08T14:14:56.786-07:00I would like to change this last line….
"Sin...I would like to change this last line….<br /><br />"Sincerely yours,<br />(Seattle elementary school teacher)"<br /><br />to<br /><br />Sincerely yours,<br />(Every teacher in the USA)Steve Wisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-11559632002381748142011-07-07T22:52:52.995-07:002011-07-07T22:52:52.995-07:00There will be no "subversion" by the tea...There will be no "subversion" by the teachers; they are too frightened to stand up. These aren't Teamsters. Please remember that this is their economic livelihood. If you show ANY disapproval of the reform methods, your professional life is OVER. You are threatened by administration with the loss of your job, your economic livelihood. Administration makes it VERY clear that if you don't do as they say, they will make your life miserable until YOU leave. They will not have to defend a firing or poor evaluations; YOU will leave because they will run you out. You will be denounced as a "disgruntled" employeee. They will make YOU look bad in front of your peers and parents. Look it up in the dictionary: "disgruntled" means "to be made angry." THEIR treatment of YOU makes you angry, but YOU are the one who is made to look bad. And feel bad. What a racket! And they get paid about twice what the teacher is getting.<br /><br />Thanks to the Seattle teacher for this. We left Edmonds and the story is pretty much the same. A lot of talk about taking "differentiating instruction for students" into account because of the different ways that people learn. But to do that, all teachers had to teach the same lessons at approximately the same time in the same subject area and grade level. There is no accounting for different styles of teaching by the teachers. Certain qualities of instruction were encouraged, but when you did it your way instead of theirs, you were wrong. No amount of arguing your view point made any difference. Pointing out inconsistancies in their thinking just made things worse for you. They have all the power.<br /><br />We do not recommend teaching as a career path for any college-bound students we know. Too much adult bullying; life is too short.Richard Reuthernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-69331535621562524022011-07-07T20:42:14.102-07:002011-07-07T20:42:14.102-07:00To the teacher who wrote this, thank you!
I was o...To the teacher who wrote this, thank you!<br /><br />I was one of those parents whose child went through elementary school not having basic math facts memorized. In my defense, I knew that I had all my math facts memorized by 4th grade but when I asked my daughter's 4th grade teacher, she said it wasn't necessary and since the teacher didn't require it, my daughter didn't believe her parents when we told her she had to memorize her math facts. She had traditional math in middle and high school and did okay but when it came time for chemistry in college, she struggled and realized her public school math education did not prepare her for college (although she did pass the ONE college math class required for graduation).<br /><br />Laurie - I think you have your next book topic--have teachers tell it like it really is inside the classroom.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-3086522220376829792011-07-07T14:10:42.873-07:002011-07-07T14:10:42.873-07:00Teachers must continue to ask the question why thi...Teachers must continue to ask the question why this destruction is being willfully carried out. It is not because the administration does not understand the key issues you raise here - they do. Their actions appear irrational only because their real goal - which they carefully hide - is the privatization of education.<br /><br />This kind of destruction of a public resource is a prerequisite to its privatization. And the money makers want to move into the education field because of the laws of capitalism (most notably the tendency for the profit rate to drop with bigger and bigger accumulation) that have hit on a pretty massive snag.<br /><br />What teachers and our students are seeing is the effect of the decay in capitalism as a progressive force in society. There will be no return to good times without a massive working class struggle aimed at changing class relations in society.<br /><br />The democratic method available to Americans will not be adequate for this, since both parties support these attacks on public education.<br /><br />There is a political party known as the "Socialist Equality Party" that publishes <a href="http://wsws.org" rel="nofollow">wsws</a>. I recommend teachers to read their analysis on public education as well as the general situation confronting people.thusharahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09820727533887579134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-52231882952184266242011-07-07T14:04:01.434-07:002011-07-07T14:04:01.434-07:00I am extremely interested in how prevalent this in...I am extremely interested in how prevalent this indignation is amongst the faculty at this teacher's school.<br /><br />Would it be possible to initiate either:<br />A: Massive non-compliance...<br /><br />or, more likely:<br /><br />B: An underground campaign whereby teachers join to covertly inform parents that their administrators are deliberately sabotaging their kids' education.<br /><br />Because the only thing that will kill this is mass rejection of the public schoolsVain Saintsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762201600804179432.post-35014307099034254772011-07-07T13:37:51.765-07:002011-07-07T13:37:51.765-07:00Outstanding!! We need to hear from more of these ...Outstanding!! We need to hear from more of these teachers. They need to find a way to get this message out there. Parents are clueless!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com