It Is Always Good To Laugh...

And we can count on our friend Oak Norton to give us a few laughs even in a time like this. I know that even though there are days that I feel like crying right now, when I look at some of Oak Norton's comics they make me laugh out loud. I can relate to so many of them , and I am sure you can too. Check out his sites: http://www.oaknorton.com/ and http://www.weaponsofmathdestruction.com/. You will enjoy his expertise and mix of humor. I know I do.

He sent me a comic yesterday in light of our upcoming school board meeting. I hope this is NOT our school board's reaction tomorrow night. It would be nice to finally get some answers to some of our questions instead of this.....

Who's Running This Place?

Thanks for the laugh Oak.

School Board Meeting Monday, December 8

There will be a school board meeting December 8 (MONDAY) at 5:30 at the administration building. I will be there to inform you on what the school board has to say about our current math situation. I know that we are anxious to hear something...anything from them. I hope that happens on Monday. I will keep you informed. For any of you who want to show up and make public comment, that would be great. For those of you who can't attend I will inform you as to what they have to say.

Also...after much concern and many requests, I WILL be doing the same power point presentation that I did a few weeks ago now for our community. This will take place at the Linn Creek Baptist Church on A road. (Highway 54 to A road in Linn Creek. You will see Linn Creek Baptist Church on your left about 2/10 of a mile from Hwy. 54). It will happen this Thursday night, December 11. We will have a free chili supper from 5:30-6:00. We have several excellent cooks bringing their versions of chili, come and pick your favorite. The presentation will take place from 6:00-7:15.

We have invited several of our community officials and our state representatives to attend to learn what is going on with our children. THERE WILL BE FREE CHILDCARE!!! WE WILL TRY TO KEEP THIS MEETING AS BRIEF, BUT AS INFORMATIVE AS POSSIBLE.

Depending on the outcome of the school board meeting on Monday, we will decide whether or not to pursue our petition drive. If the outcome of the school board meeting is not what we are hoping for, then we will start our petition drive that night. Please show up and be informed. Look forward to seeing you all there.

Broken At the State Level

From one of my favorite blogs: www.mathwithouttears.blogspot.com A real math teacher from Texas writes.....

Posted July 2008
Now I see that "math wars" are springing up again and sadly now another group of students is suffering and struggling in places such as Florida and Missouri.

And now another group of college professors is speaking out against what they see happening.The "fuzzy math authors" do not give up so easily. They have their fingers in their ears and masks over their eyes. They refuse to believe that their precious, new math curricula are the cause because after all, "research shows" that students need to learn by discovering and investigating, that students remember best what they figure out on their own without any interference from the teacher, that students need to know they are valued.

In a Missourian article entitled "Math Professors Seek Change in State's K-12 Math Curriculum", college professors are quoted expressing their concerns with the state's math standards and the curriculum. Below is a quote from Missouri University math professor Adam Helfer:
"One of the most painful things for me as a math professor at Mizzou is to work with students who have native ability in math but are not going to be able to capitalize on it because their K-12 preparation is inadequate. There is just nothing that can be done at the college level to make up for this -- it's far too late."

Another MU math professor, Alex Koldobsky, is also quoted in the article:
"I have been teaching Calculus I for the last few years and I clearly see the deterioration of computational and algebraic skills of incoming freshmen. Instead of working on the concepts of calculus, the majority of the students have to think for a long time about every elementary arithmetic and algebraic step, which at this point have to be automatic for them."

More than 50 math professors signed the letter, critical of the "student centered focus" which dominates the Missouri K-12 standards -- which repeatedly prescribes that students 'explore', 'investigate', 'develop models', and 'conduct experiments'.
Endorsement signatures for the letter

Go here to read the entire article, and while reading it, take the time to go to the side link to the 9-page letter (5 pages of which are signatures of college professors) dated May 5, 2008, sent to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

If you live in the state of Missouri your children may be affected by the weak standards and "fuzzy math" curriculum. If you are in other states, you need to be vigilant to what is being taught in your state. This is not going away.
If we have anything to do with it..the fuzzy math part will be gone from our school as the core! Our children should be learning their basic facts so that when they get to college they can engage in the courses the choose. Use fuzzy math, if we must , only as a supplement to be used at the discretion of the teachers.

Take a look on the above link and realize that over 50 of our state's most distinguished mathematicians do not believe in our Missouri standards for math. We need to make our voices heard not only to our school district, but to our politicians at the state level.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

I really like the idea of #12 and have actually had several parents talk to me who think this is a good idea. I had a mom bring it up to me 2 weeks ago, and now it seems to be all the buzz. To be honest, I had never even thought of something like this to be an option, but it could be for those of us who refuse to allow for our kids to be taught this way. We may just opt to keep them home one day a week and maybe take turns tutoring a group of them to make sure they are getting what they need. Or we could possibly find a retired teacher or something and pay them a fee to teach them once a week.

It seems better than each of us having to reteach them every night that they get home for another 1.5 hours after the poor little fellas have just spent 8 hours at school. That seems so unfair. And they are only 9 -12 years old. I like the idea, if that is what it takes. Hopefully it won't come to that, but it is always an option if things don't change I guess. Just a thought.

The following information came from a great site: http://www.oaknorton.com/whattodo.cfm

Educating All Parents To Ensure The Future Of Our Republic

GET INVOLVED
What I hear over and over from people in parts of the country when they find my website is that their school district just implemented Investigations math or a program of similar ilk and they describe trying to stop the school board from doing it and asking for my help in what to do. If you're worried about the program the district has chosen or is in process of choosing, ACT FAST. Here's a short and quick list of things you can do:

1) GET EDUCATED. You can't make points without knowing what you're talking about. Two of the best places online to have that happen are www.mathematicallycorrect.com, and www.nychold.com.

2) Speak with your school board member one-on-one. School board members sometimes get convinced by the "math expert" in the district and go down the path because they haven't understood the great harm many of the constructivist programs cause.

3) Find other parents in your area and get them on board with petition signing and campaigns to alert the public what's happening.

4) Go speak at public school board meetings with other parents. Go regularly until you determine you're just being tuned out.

5) Get on your school's PTA or Community Council to help make a difference and have your voice heard regularly.

6) Run for School Board.

7) Call in to local talk shows and discuss the issue to raise greater awareness.

8) Write letters to the editor.

9) Contact the press directly and ask them to write stories to alert the public as to what's happening.

10) Contact local legislators who may be able to pressure the district and schools to re-evaluate the programs being used or else ask them to help look into changing the state standards in such a way to ensure they are clear and world class and well define the CONTENT that should be mastered in schools. Most state standards are very vague. California's are the best. If you can adopt them you'll be ahead of the curve and publishers specifically write for CA so you have a broad choice of decent programs.

11) Find teachers in your schools that believe in traditional math with rigor and get your kids into their classes. Watch your kids homework like a hawk and make respectful comments to their teachers when you are displeased with the homework.

12) See about dual-enrolling your child in school so that you teach math at home and the child goes to school for other subjects. Or just home school with GOOD materials. Saxon math is a great home school program. In Utah, it's also used by 8 of the 10 top scoring private schools. It just works.

13) Look into charter or private schools.

Don't give up. Fighting an entrenched bureacracy is one of the hardest things you can do. Keep your life balanced and don't neglect the other important things in life, but keep after it. It's amazing what can happen if you turn off the TV and spend an hour at night making things happen. It really adds up.

For anyone out there who wants to help be a part of organizing our next step, please contact me . I will let you know how to help.

Remember The National Mathematics Advisory Panel?

Here is what some of our country's leading newspapers have to say about the way our kids are being taught their math. I find it troubling that it appears this study was not considered when we took our 3rd and 4th graders head long into Investigations without any supplements. Check out these articles published in 2008. The more I read, the more I question WHY and HOW did this happen to our kids. Keep in mind folks, this information comes from our Department of Education THIS YEAR!

So, for those of you who say..."my kid is doing great, the math seems fine to me.."you had better wake up and read what our government is saying today about this method of teaching. These articles each speak to the findings of the DOE's final report.

Report Urges Changes in Teaching Math - New York Times

A solution to how to teach math: Subtract - USATODAY.com

Panel Urges Schools to Emphasize Core Math Skills - washingtonpost.com

Sounds So Familiar....

I guess there is some comfort in knowing that it is not just us. A great blog site that you must visit is....authored by Laurie Rogers. Their situation is a parallel to our own. They have been engaged in this fight much longer than we have so the insight that she shares is very enlightening. It sounds WAY TOO FAMILIAR. Check out Laurie's site at:
http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/

Her article is as follows:
Thursday, October 30, 2008

Teachers Are Afraid To Speak Out
When I began researching education, the first people I went to for information were the teachers. They’re on the “front lines” of education; who better to enlighten me than the people working in the classrooms?

I discovered that many teachers are afraid to speak frankly to parents. They’re afraid of being disciplined, or even fired for “insubordination.” The ones who spoke with me tended to speak carefully, watching their words – almost as if the walls had ears or as if people were lurking around the corner.

Some teachers agreed to talk with me if we met outside of the classroom. Several told me they’d already been disciplined for talking with parents. One teacher talked with his lawyer before he talked with me. Almost all of them spoke on the condition of absolute anonymity. Three teachers began to talk with me, then decided the risks were too great to continue. Some agreed to give me the gist of their concerns, but they wouldn’t let me take notes or tape the conversation. Some teachers expressed sympathy for my project yet refused to talk about their experiences. A frequent explanation: “I just have a few more years to go to retirement. I can’t afford to get into trouble.”

This is a common theme elsewhere in the state and the country. Bob Dean, chair of the math department for Evergreen High School in Vancouver, WA, told me he’s familiar with the fears.

“When I discovered how reform mathematics was cheating our kids out of a proper education, I instantly became involved in trying to change that fact. I know that many teachers are afraid to speak out. …. I have seen gag orders put on teachers and intimidation used to silence them. Anyone who dares to challenge the latest educational fad is labeled reluctant, out of touch, and a non-team player.”

A Spokane high-school teacher told me he’d been disciplined – including verbal reprimands and a letter in his file – for telling parents he thought the district’s reform mathematics curricula wouldn’t adequately prepare students for college-level mathematics. He said he doesn’t believe administrators want his professional assessment of the system:

“Perhaps the most discouraging observation of the past eight years is that there is no longer a professional discussion of these and other problems regarding high stakes testing and related curriculum issues. Teachers of an ‘old school’ philosophy who are critical of the so called ‘fuzzy math’ and discovery based learning – both of which are used in support of the WASL – are vilified, ostracized and sometimes subject to disciplinary action. Techniques that work, like direct instruction and drill and practice of basic skills, are ridiculed and those that use them are seen as incompetent and ineffective teachers. … Collaboration has become coercion.”

But talking with parents about their child’s academic situation is part of a teacher’s job. When teachers don’t do it freely and forthrightly, children have lost an important ally, and parents have lost an essential element of public Accountability.In February 2008, I interviewed Spokane Superintendent Nancy Stowell. I told her some teachers are worried they’ll receive bad evaluations or be fired for speaking frankly with parents. I added that some teachers believe they’ve been “disciplined” for activity they thought was warranted but that administrators saw as oppositional. This was her response:

“Well, no, it doesn’t surprise me that there are some people who would say that. Certainly, you know, (there is) a wide variety of teachers out there. Some of them very, very successful, and some less successful. And so, you know, people have issues along that continuum. And it’s really the responsibility of principals to work with staff that do have issues along that continuum.“So if a teacher had an issue about either the math curriculum, or what he or she was teaching, or grade level, or any of that, I can understand that a principal would expect that it would be something the teacher and the principal would talk about rather than the teacher kind of going out there. Because it’s the principal who really knows the teacher, and how good the teacher is, and we all want, you know, excellent teachers.”

Dr. Stowell went on to say that “change is difficult,” and some teachers will embrace new ideas while others will be “more resistant.” Sometimes, she said, the problem can be that teachers “are just not wanting to change.” She said if they have good ideas, however, those ideas should be “shared.” She acknowledged that the district could “do a better job” of developing “feedback loops” as a way for teachers to communicate with coordinators.To me, it sounds as though Dr. Stowell might be saying that teachers who intend to give parents their honest professional assessment of their child’s academic situation – including comments that could indicate weaknesses in the curricula, school policy or administration – might actually:
** have other issues,
** not be "successful" teachers anyway, or
**just be resistant to change.

Parents, please be aware that – although teachers generally do their best every day in the classroom – many have concerns about being absolutely frank with parents.

Caveat emptor.

The best way to know how things are is to look at what your children know versus what they should know at their age. Have them professionally tested and assessed by people outside of the district. Speak with people who know which skills are required for the future your children envision for themselves. Take steps to fill in the gaps.Don’t wait until your children are in Grade 12 or applying for college. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. At some point - sooner than you think - it will be too late.

Please note:

The information in this post is copyrighted. The proper citation is: Rogers, L. (October, 2008). "Teachers are afraid to speak out." Retrieved December 2, 2008 from the Betrayed Web site: http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/

I can tell you from first hand conversations with our own teachers that the majority of our teachers when questioned...act/feel the same way as the teachers mentioned above. It is time our teachers got their voices back. We need to make sure that our teachers are really allowed to teach again. If nothing else I guess it is good to know that you are not alone Camdenton, teachers, it is happening all over our nation. It doesn't make it right. Therefore, it is time that we not lose any more great teachers and we, the public, expect accountability for our children and our teachers. We must make our voices heard.

In Case You Wondered....

This post is to set a few things straight for those of you who don't know me. I am a mom. I have three great kids who are 5th grade, 3rd grade, and a pre-k. I am married to a elementary school teacher in the Camdenton School District. Yep, that is right. My husband is a teacher in Dogwood and Hawthorn Elementary Schools. So, for any of you who have guessed that making trouble for the school is just a recently acquired hobby that I enjoy, you are wrong. (My husband loves his job, and like so many other teachers is called to do what he does. He truly has a heart for children. Anyone who knows him will agree.) My father-in-law, my mother-in-law, and my brother-in-law...all teachers/administrators in the Camdenton School District. We are Lakers through and through. My husband is a PROUD Camdenton Graduate. He went to Camdenton all of his school-aged life.

I say all of that to say...When I stood up and pointed out that I thought there was a problem, I did not realize that anyone else felt the same way I did when all of this began a few weeks ago. It was not an easy decision to question my husband's employer. However, since then I have received phone calls from strangers who have shared their stories of frustration with me. I have cried with you in the aisles of Wal-Mart as you have confided in me your heartache. I have been floored to find out that some of my best friends were suffering from the same woes scholastically that my children have faced. I had no idea that there were so many of us. It is not all about the math. I know that. A LOT of you have told me about how hopeless you feel about the reading....and I feel your pain. I know exactly how you feel. I have been overwhelmed with how many of us are in the same boat. I am humbled that my message resonated with so many of you. I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with those of you all expecting accountability and some answers alongside me.

Being that my husband is a teacher, and my mother and father-in-laws have dedicated their working lives to this district I have many, many friends in Camdenton who are teachers. Some of our best friends are teachers. So...for those of you who question my relationships with the teachers and are so offended that the teachers confide their concerns and frustrations in me, realize that they are not only lifelong friends of my family but, I am related to some of them. I actually share my bed with one of them. Having my husband work in Dogwood and Hawthorn Elementary Schools...he cannot help but be immersed in the goings-on of those buildings. I know what is going on because he knows what is going on.

Several times it has been said that I went about this the "wrong way". My response is pretty simple...What is the right way? When you see your children struggling, and there appears to be no answers...what is the right way? Did I ever wish to be in this position? Of course not. Did I ever dream that so many others shared my same frustrations? Never. Is it much fun asking the hard questions to your husband's employer? What do you think? Not fun at all. But, is it necessary? ABSOLUTELY! It is for the well being of my children and yours. There are questions to be answered. There are gaps that need to be filled. There are things that need to be changed. In my opinion this whole issue could turn out to be a good thing for everyone.

For those of you who have posted comments on how we are setting a bad example for our children...I could not disagree more. Some of us tell our kids that "just because everyone else is jumping off of the cliff doesn't mean you should, too." Some of us believe that we do not go along with something that we do not believe is right just because everyone else is. (We call that peer pressure.) Some of us believe that to fight for something with passion because you believe it is the right thing is admirable....not condemnable. We want for our kids to see our request for a diplomatic solution, but our willingness to stand up for what is right even though it may make some uncomfortable. Some of us want for our children to learn to seek the truth even though some may not like it. As I have said before, some of us are unapologetic advocates for our kids and we believe that to stand for our convictions and to stand for truth is one of the best lessons we can teach our children.

As parents this has made some of us more connected and interested in what our kids are learning. I know personally, I will be a more active participant in their educations from this point forward. I will never assume that someone else has their best interest at heart. I will make sure from now on. As administrators we hope that they can step up and recognize, through some humility, that maybe this was not the best road to take us down. We can work together to find the best solution for all children based on sound research and the knowledge gained from surrounding school districts.

I feel that we are lucky to be a part of the Camdenton School District. No school district is without its troubles. That is a given. However, I believe that our Superintendent and School Board want what is best for our children. I believe that they are all tirelessly researching and looking for what they believe to be the best answer for your kids and mine. With that being said....I am postponing the next forum/chili supper until we hear from our school board. There will not be a petition drive until we see what direction they plan to go. Let's wait and see...let's wait and see for one more week. Attend the school board meeting on Monday with me, and let's hear what they have to say.

After speaking with many of you over the last few days, I think we all share the same hope that they (our administration) have heard us and are looking for the balance that we desire for our students and our teachers. We will see. Again, I thank you for all of the support. For the kind emails...for the phone calls...for the hugs and handshakes in the grocery store....I am proud to be in this with all of you. I know that, in the end, this can turn out to be such a positive for EVERYONE involved. For now, let's hang in there and see what our administration offers before we take our next step. I will keep you posted on that progress...daily.