Monday, March 10, 2008
Problems Adding Up At Bayport Schools?
Problems Adding Up At Bayport Schools?
By:Robert Wargas
When it comes to the basics of elementary education, many may recall the three "R's" - reading, writing and arithmetic. But some residents of the Bayport-Blue Point School District believe their kids aren't quite getting the last one.
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The problem, they say, lies with so-called "Everyday Mathematics," a new-age math teaching system that has worked its way into the curriculum of Bayport's three elementary schools, much to the dismay of many parents, who want it cut out immediately.
Stressing a logic-driven approach to computation, Everyday Math - also known as "fuzzy math" - urges students to estimate and to arrive at answers using different, if unconventional, approaches. This deviates from the more traditional strategy, in which students are instilled with the mathematical principles in a learn-by-rote method that leaves no room for guessing - and little "fuzziness," according to several district residents.
Everyday Math is currently in place in more than 175,000 classrooms and is quickly spreading across the country, according to the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, which designed the system.
The university stresses that Everyday Math was designed to help students apply math to "real world" situations instead of learning concepts in isolation. Rather than spend a block of time on one topic and then move on, the teaching method is circular, with students integrating lessons and revisiting topics as they progress quickly - since the university believes "children learn best when new topics are presented at a brisk pace." The program also encourages calculator use where appropriate.
But for the parents of Bayport children, guessing, estimating and using a calculator are bad habits that bypass real math skills and may even hold the students back from getting to the head of the class.
For Caroline Naluai, a high school family and consumer science teacher in another district, her third-grade son is an otherwise strong student who recently has fallen behind in math. She has had to hire a tutor for him, and she blames Everyday Math for what she believes is its slipshod learning approach.
"I don't see the benefit," she said. "Nobody can master anything."
Another parent, Rita Palma, said her fifth-grader doesn't know the multiplication tables because Everyday Math "doesn't stick to the skill-and-drill method. I think they need traditional math as their primary teaching method," she said.
The "fuzzy" math method has been in place at Bayport schools for five years. It is taught from kindergarten through third grade, and a trial now is in place for fourth and fifth grades.
School officials did not return numerous calls for comment, as of press time.
"Parents have been irate about this for a long time," said Diane D'Angelo, another concerned district resident.
As of now, a petition calling for the end of Everyday Math bears more than 300 names - the tip of the iceberg for a community bent on getting rid of the program, D'Angelo said.
Several parents also commented that they were tired of spending their own money on tutors to make up for the education their kids should be getting in school.
"When my son entered third grade and couldn't add, I was alarmed," said D'Angelo.
But the University of Chicago says Everyday Math students should have a strong hold of multiplication by second grade.
A letter to concerned parents from Bayport-Blue Point School District Superintendent Anthony Annunziato said: "In the last year and a half, the district has been evaluating the program and its implementation over the last five years. On February 12, 2008, the board of education established an ad hoc committee to assess the current K-5 math curriculum."
The letter also stated that school officials will conduct meetings with teachers "to identify weaknesses in the K-5 math program and to begin establishing [the] best practices used by our teachers."
Annunziato failed to return repeated phone calls seeking further comment, as did Glen Eschbach, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
By:Robert Wargas
When it comes to the basics of elementary education, many may recall the three "R's" - reading, writing and arithmetic. But some residents of the Bayport-Blue Point School District believe their kids aren't quite getting the last one.
Advertisement
The problem, they say, lies with so-called "Everyday Mathematics," a new-age math teaching system that has worked its way into the curriculum of Bayport's three elementary schools, much to the dismay of many parents, who want it cut out immediately.
Stressing a logic-driven approach to computation, Everyday Math - also known as "fuzzy math" - urges students to estimate and to arrive at answers using different, if unconventional, approaches. This deviates from the more traditional strategy, in which students are instilled with the mathematical principles in a learn-by-rote method that leaves no room for guessing - and little "fuzziness," according to several district residents.
Everyday Math is currently in place in more than 175,000 classrooms and is quickly spreading across the country, according to the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, which designed the system.
The university stresses that Everyday Math was designed to help students apply math to "real world" situations instead of learning concepts in isolation. Rather than spend a block of time on one topic and then move on, the teaching method is circular, with students integrating lessons and revisiting topics as they progress quickly - since the university believes "children learn best when new topics are presented at a brisk pace." The program also encourages calculator use where appropriate.
But for the parents of Bayport children, guessing, estimating and using a calculator are bad habits that bypass real math skills and may even hold the students back from getting to the head of the class.
For Caroline Naluai, a high school family and consumer science teacher in another district, her third-grade son is an otherwise strong student who recently has fallen behind in math. She has had to hire a tutor for him, and she blames Everyday Math for what she believes is its slipshod learning approach.
"I don't see the benefit," she said. "Nobody can master anything."
Another parent, Rita Palma, said her fifth-grader doesn't know the multiplication tables because Everyday Math "doesn't stick to the skill-and-drill method. I think they need traditional math as their primary teaching method," she said.
The "fuzzy" math method has been in place at Bayport schools for five years. It is taught from kindergarten through third grade, and a trial now is in place for fourth and fifth grades.
School officials did not return numerous calls for comment, as of press time.
"Parents have been irate about this for a long time," said Diane D'Angelo, another concerned district resident.
As of now, a petition calling for the end of Everyday Math bears more than 300 names - the tip of the iceberg for a community bent on getting rid of the program, D'Angelo said.
Several parents also commented that they were tired of spending their own money on tutors to make up for the education their kids should be getting in school.
"When my son entered third grade and couldn't add, I was alarmed," said D'Angelo.
But the University of Chicago says Everyday Math students should have a strong hold of multiplication by second grade.
A letter to concerned parents from Bayport-Blue Point School District Superintendent Anthony Annunziato said: "In the last year and a half, the district has been evaluating the program and its implementation over the last five years. On February 12, 2008, the board of education established an ad hoc committee to assess the current K-5 math curriculum."
The letter also stated that school officials will conduct meetings with teachers "to identify weaknesses in the K-5 math program and to begin establishing [the] best practices used by our teachers."
Annunziato failed to return repeated phone calls seeking further comment, as did Glen Eschbach, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Comments:
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and another BOE and district administrators using typical stall tactics.
the best way NOT to deal with a problem is to form a committee to "study" it.
so they have been studying it for a year and a half and now plan to...study it more? sounds like Ridgewood.
the best way NOT to deal with a problem is to form a committee to "study" it.
so they have been studying it for a year and a half and now plan to...study it more? sounds like Ridgewood.
# posted by 
: 4:11 PM
: 4:11 PM
There is a silver lining: a louder call for vouchers so kids can get out from under a selfish public education system that only cares about itself--i.e. high priced administrators and keeping under educated teachers employed.
They can take their crappy math and stuff it.
They can take their crappy math and stuff it.
# posted by : 4:21 PM
: 4:21 PM
> "Everyday Mathematics," a new-age math teaching system
"New age"? What is the source of this biased & one-sided article?
Ridge School has been using Everyday Math for over 10 years, and they've had strong math performance during that time. Granted, in the most recent NJ ASK tests, they didn't perform as well as Orchard (which uses TERC, btw), but they did outperform Hawes (which uses outdated "traditional math" methods).
"New age"? What is the source of this biased & one-sided article?
Ridge School has been using Everyday Math for over 10 years, and they've had strong math performance during that time. Granted, in the most recent NJ ASK tests, they didn't perform as well as Orchard (which uses TERC, btw), but they did outperform Hawes (which uses outdated "traditional math" methods).
# posted by : 4:46 PM
: 4:46 PM
I may vote Republican this time around. McCain says the key to education is choice and competition.
I'm afraid he's right. And we desperately need to straighten out our schools. There's not enough competition, and there's not enough choice.
I'm afraid he's right. And we desperately need to straighten out our schools. There's not enough competition, and there's not enough choice.
# posted by : 4:46 PM
: 4:46 PM
"The deplorable status of preparation for our children, particularly in comparison with the rest of the industrialized world, does not allow us the luxury of eliminating options in our educational repertoire."
Read more of McCain's position on education.
Read more of McCain's position on education.
# posted by : 5:07 PM
: 5:07 PM
4:46 PM
Are you sure that the teachers didn't supplement with traditional materials that they liked better the EM?
Did you survey the parents of anyone of those schools to see who sends their kids to Score?
My kid had Everyday Math 10 years ago and he went to Score for 3 years (plus some Kitchen Table Math on the side).
Lastly, why don't you ask the question "Why do we have two math programs that are constantly written about in the news?" That Hawes traditional math program never gets any bad press, what's up with that?
I agree with you, give Hawes and Willard TERC and give them something to really complain about. We should all be in the same muck.
Are you sure that the teachers didn't supplement with traditional materials that they liked better the EM?
Did you survey the parents of anyone of those schools to see who sends their kids to Score?
My kid had Everyday Math 10 years ago and he went to Score for 3 years (plus some Kitchen Table Math on the side).
Lastly, why don't you ask the question "Why do we have two math programs that are constantly written about in the news?" That Hawes traditional math program never gets any bad press, what's up with that?
I agree with you, give Hawes and Willard TERC and give them something to really complain about. We should all be in the same muck.
# posted by : 8:44 PM
: 8:44 PM
You know that saying, "There's a sucker born every minute," well they should have said "there's an administrator born every minute."
What do we do with bureaucrats? It's one thing to be useless, but it's quite another to be harmful.
What do we do with bureaucrats? It's one thing to be useless, but it's quite another to be harmful.
# posted by : 9:07 PM
: 9:07 PM
Your community passion must be commended. Yes, it is fuzzy math...to adults. When taught in its entirety, students get it. So is this about us as adults and what we know or about student achievement?
Visit What Work Clearinghouse, www.w-w-c.org and justforkids.org. See what successful schools are doing to improve student achievement. EM is being used in quite a few places.
The big problem with EM is the sprial. It makes all of us uncomfortable because it is outside of what we know. We are uncomfortable because WE have to change our way of thinking that has served us well for decades. It goes to the very heart of what we know about school. So does using the Internet, IPODs, PDAs, or the fact that children are extremely disruptive at school and even at home. It is a difficult shift for teachers, parents, and the community.
But are they not worth making a change? Mathematics is not just arithmetic, even at the kindergarten level. In kindergarten, students visit concepts in all mathematical strands: numbers and operations, geometry, algebra, data analysis and statistics, and probability. That's real mathematics that they learn.
No, they don't know the facts like we would like them to know them. If you look at the standardized assessments, it doesn't seem to be a priority either. But they have strategies for performing operations mentally and/or using tools that are amazing.
Before you condemn a program, learn about it. We were ready to give up on it, too. What we realized is that this program, this type of program is not going anywhere. NCLB has ensured us that not only will spiraling programs stay, there will be more. So we decided to accept and embrace it fully, then we would decide for ourselves. The results: we made 14% growth in mathematics scores!
The more we learned, using program and the Teacher Reference Book, the more we realized we did not understand at a deeper level. We memorized information when we were in school! We have a cohort of teachers from this school earning endorsements in Middle School Mathematics. Even the Pre-K teacher is going! The classes are not about EM but about mathematical concepts and the teaching and learning of mathematics. Our grade level meeting discussions are deeper and our conversations are always peppered with questions and things we have learned.
With parent workshops, our parents are starting to learn about mathematics, not just the program. We are honest about our struggles. It sometimes difficult to understand the point of some lessons. We use the EM website, email EM for clarity and talk about it. Most of the time, it is a topic we learned by memorizing years ago and now we need to understand it conceptually.
Ask a second grader with a teacher who is fully implementing EM what it means to multiply. The depth of their explanation and the ways they can prove it are amazing.
With FULL, UNSUPPLEMENTED, and SUPPORTED implementation you will get the results you are looking for from this program. Teachers will not do well with this program without intense professional development in their first two years of use.
Take the time and really find out what this type of program does for learning. Understand it has it draw backs, but so does NCLB. For all of the problems with it, the good outways the bad in working towards a quality education for all students.
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Visit What Work Clearinghouse, www.w-w-c.org and justforkids.org. See what successful schools are doing to improve student achievement. EM is being used in quite a few places.
The big problem with EM is the sprial. It makes all of us uncomfortable because it is outside of what we know. We are uncomfortable because WE have to change our way of thinking that has served us well for decades. It goes to the very heart of what we know about school. So does using the Internet, IPODs, PDAs, or the fact that children are extremely disruptive at school and even at home. It is a difficult shift for teachers, parents, and the community.
But are they not worth making a change? Mathematics is not just arithmetic, even at the kindergarten level. In kindergarten, students visit concepts in all mathematical strands: numbers and operations, geometry, algebra, data analysis and statistics, and probability. That's real mathematics that they learn.
No, they don't know the facts like we would like them to know them. If you look at the standardized assessments, it doesn't seem to be a priority either. But they have strategies for performing operations mentally and/or using tools that are amazing.
Before you condemn a program, learn about it. We were ready to give up on it, too. What we realized is that this program, this type of program is not going anywhere. NCLB has ensured us that not only will spiraling programs stay, there will be more. So we decided to accept and embrace it fully, then we would decide for ourselves. The results: we made 14% growth in mathematics scores!
The more we learned, using program and the Teacher Reference Book, the more we realized we did not understand at a deeper level. We memorized information when we were in school! We have a cohort of teachers from this school earning endorsements in Middle School Mathematics. Even the Pre-K teacher is going! The classes are not about EM but about mathematical concepts and the teaching and learning of mathematics. Our grade level meeting discussions are deeper and our conversations are always peppered with questions and things we have learned.
With parent workshops, our parents are starting to learn about mathematics, not just the program. We are honest about our struggles. It sometimes difficult to understand the point of some lessons. We use the EM website, email EM for clarity and talk about it. Most of the time, it is a topic we learned by memorizing years ago and now we need to understand it conceptually.
Ask a second grader with a teacher who is fully implementing EM what it means to multiply. The depth of their explanation and the ways they can prove it are amazing.
With FULL, UNSUPPLEMENTED, and SUPPORTED implementation you will get the results you are looking for from this program. Teachers will not do well with this program without intense professional development in their first two years of use.
Take the time and really find out what this type of program does for learning. Understand it has it draw backs, but so does NCLB. For all of the problems with it, the good outways the bad in working towards a quality education for all students.
# posted by : 11:56 AM
: 11:56 AM << Home
