Why Is This So Hard?

This is an email from a 5th grade teacher from Lee's Summit, Missouri. They have great Map scores...and below is HOW they do it! How many times do we hear the same thing over and over again. Investigations when used as a supplement is successful. It SHOULD NOT BE A CORE!!!!! Why is it so hard for our administrators to "get it"? Why reinvent the wheel?

"We use Scott Foresman and Investigations. Primarily, we use the 80% 20% rule. (80% Scott Foresman, 20% Investigations). Investigations is used more as an introduction to any unit to get kids hands-on in learning. We have found that this approach works best for the kids because using both encompasses all types of learning. We also felt that we would not be truly preparing the kiddos when they get to 5th and middle school which focuses more on text material. .....thus, we use a combination. My MAP scores and team scores have been in the top for several years now and the parents love the combination of both. We switch series every 6 years so we will be up for another series in three.Hope this helps."

Spoken by a 6th grade teacher from Jeff City. Why is it so hard?

"Some people in the education world feel a need to use different methods to teach. Sometimes those methods are wonderful, but many times our students just fall behind. The whole language reading approach that was popular about 13 years ago is a prime example. Teachers stopped teaching phonics, and then there was this group of children who really struggled to read and spell. As the old adage goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Good luck! Let me know what happens. "

Folks, I will say it again and again...our children are experiments right now. This math will prove to fail for our children if not used correctly. I am not being negative, I am just predicting the future based on the past performance of multitudes that have gone before us all across our great nation and our state. The content is not there. There is no practice. The reading is WAY TOO HARD! And, we are not teaching our children the fastest most efficient ways to be problem solvers. Why is this so hard when the answers seem so simple and are right in front of our faces? United we stand. Fight the good fight for our children. Nothing in life matters more than our children.