Contact: Dan Dempsey at dempsey_dan@yahoo.com .......
The Math Underground is part of a national coalition, originated by NYC HOLD. .. a coalition of groups of citizens NOT vested in continually reinventing the wheel in order to justify our own existence, jobs or expertise. ........ Check the Blog list for Seattle Math Group.
IF you are a math teacher in Federal Way, and you teach in any of their supposed competitive programs, you'd better hand out A's and B's like candy or the parents and admins will be blaming you for kids who don't take notes, don't do homework, and don't learn much of anything.
That A and B distribution plan is hardly unique to Federal Way.
Check Class Grades with actual AP test results for most High Schools.
This is a public relations ploy, schools have become PR machines. In Administrations view "Actually" educating the students is way down the priority list in many places.
I have to agree with grade inflation, but it would help too if the curriculum were better. Teachers don't make things easier by staying silent while others wait at the chopping block. Without protection, teachers are fair game for harrassment from all sides. If you can, I recommend doing something different - eventually, this movement will eat itself up by making everyone incredibly broke and stupid. Even the election looks evenly lame... There's so much news here, how could not be covering it, yet.. here we are. Ridiculous. I wonder what colleges will look like 10 years from now. What kind of students will they be getting?
IF you are a math teacher in Federal Way, and you teach in any of their supposed competitive programs, you'd better hand out A's and B's like candy or the parents and admins will be blaming you for kids who don't take notes, don't do homework, and don't learn much of anything.
ReplyDeleteWhich math textbooks is Federal Way using?
ReplyDeleteThat A and B distribution plan is hardly unique to Federal Way.
ReplyDeleteCheck Class Grades with actual AP test results for most High Schools.
This is a public relations ploy, schools have become PR machines. In Administrations view "Actually" educating the students is way down the priority list in many places.
Dan
I have to agree with grade inflation, but it would help too if the curriculum were better. Teachers don't make things easier by staying silent while others wait at the chopping block. Without protection, teachers are fair game for harrassment from all sides. If you can, I recommend doing something different - eventually, this movement will eat itself up by making everyone incredibly broke and stupid. Even the election looks evenly lame...
ReplyDeleteThere's so much news here, how could not be covering it, yet.. here we are. Ridiculous. I wonder what colleges will look like 10 years from now. What kind of students will they be getting?
As far as lack of news coverage, Alvin Toeffler's "Future Shock" explains that quite nicely. Published in 1970 ... 38 years ago.
ReplyDeleteWe are trapped in a system that apparently cannot be changed.
Those who control the media control the game.