Why are MoCo kids failing math exams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The question is not who is the student it is who is the teacher. The parents are the teacher, every single night. The kids do not understand the material, they are given homework they can not accomplish, the parents teach the material. If the child goes to school the next day and asks the teacher to reteach the material they can't because they have to stay on track and move to the next lesson whether the kids understand it or not.

If this is the problem, a textbook won't solve it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at the what the teachers do in all the highest scoring math countries. They use textbooks that have been well designed and follow the national standards. There is no way a teacher working alone is going to create a better math program than using a quality math textbook with the teacher's guide. Look at Math in Focus, which is a conceptual, mastery math progam based on a Singapore textbook called My Pals Are Here. It is excellent. It is ridiculous that I have to teach my kids do 30 to 45 minutes of math afterschool everyday so they have a chance of keeping up in math with kids around he world. A teacher does not have the time to independently develop a world class curriculum.

And Math in Focus is exactly what they use in school in Singapore, right?

Plus, it's all very well to say that teachers should use textbooks that are well-designed and follow national standards. But we don't have national standards (and look at the outrage!!!!!!!!!!!! about the Common Core, which aren't even national standards), let alone well-designed textbooks that follow them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about no available textbooks that correspond to the curriculum being taught, so kids can't really review?!

Good teachers don't use textbooks, because they realize that the vast majority of today's kids do not learn from copying problems over from a book the way we did 20+ years ago.

I go to training after training trying to get old school teachers to wean away from using textbooks. They are a crutch for people who do not know how to follow a pacing guide and come up with activities and lessons that really demonstrate understanding.

Parents need textbooks. Kids don't.

kids at that age need to ask the teacher questions and the parents do not need the books to dothe work for the kids, the ykids need to be responsible to speak up, ask questions, and study. studying doesn't mean sitting with a phone and answering every text that comes in.

[Anonymous]

i blame the parents and students. my daughters math teacher sends an email out each week saying exactly what they are going to be doing that week, she sends out the review packet, she puts up her schedule so kids can stop in during her free period or in their morning or afternoon study times.

14 out of 26 kids got an A 8 failed I asked my kid why she thought that happened and she said oh those are the kids who never pay attention or do their work,.

kids just go through the motions and then mommy and daddy complain

your kid is in middle school or high school they should be held accountable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Math failure is due to incompetent teachers. End story.

+10000000000000000
Some MCPS teachers don't have a math background and try to teach Algebra I. It is a travesty that MCPS needs to address. Mr. "I have my foot out of the door" Starr needs to stop pandering to the unions and address the teacher incompetence issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question is not who is the student it is who is the teacher. The parents are the teacher, every single night. The kids do not understand the material, they are given homework they can not accomplish, the parents teach the material. If the child goes to school the next day and asks the teacher to reteach the material they can't because they have to stay on track and move to the next lesson whether the kids understand it or not.

If this is the problem, a textbook won't solve it.

Yes it can, I can review the material and teach it.

Some text books even have the chapter noted so you can refer back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about no available textbooks that correspond to the curriculum being taught, so kids can't really review?!

Good teachers don't use textbooks, because they realize that the vast majority of today's kids do not learn from copying problems over from a book the way we did 20+ years ago.

I go to training after training trying to get old school teachers to wean away from using textbooks. They are a crutch for people who do not know how to follow a pacing guide and come up with activities and lessons that really demonstrate understanding.

Parents need textbooks. Kids don't.

OK, well, let me explain then.

There are no textbooks or review guidelines. There's no curriculum beyond the current semester's curriculum, and what there is is high-level, so teachers are making it up as they go along.

So when a kid starts to struggle, the only help the teacher can offer is "come see me." There's no guidance for parents on what to help their kids study, no way for kids to review and practice concepts, and no way to give a tutor the info they need to help.

Sink or swim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at the what the teachers do in all the highest scoring math countries. They use textbooks that have been well designed and follow the national standards. There is no way a teacher working alone is going to create a better math program than using a quality math textbook with the teacher's guide. Look at Math in Focus, which is a conceptual, mastery math progam based on a Singapore textbook called My Pals Are Here. It is excellent. It is ridiculous that I have to teach my kids do 30 to 45 minutes of math afterschool everyday so they have a chance of keeping up in math with kids around he world. A teacher does not have the time to independently develop a world class curriculum.

And Math in Focus is exactly what they use in school in Singapore, right?

Plus, it's all very well to say that teachers should use textbooks that are well-designed and follow national standards. But we don't have national standards (and look at the outrage!!!!!!!!!!!! about the Common Core, which aren't even national standards), let alone well-designed textbooks that follow them.

Math in Focus is a well-designed textbook published by Houghton-Mifflin. They made minor changes for the American market but it is really similar to what kids in Singapore are using. After it was published the publishing company looked at the Common Core Standards and found that Math in Focus met Common Core Standards without doing anything but adding literally a few pages to the textbooks. It bothers me that the teachers think they are doing a good job teaching math because my kids are doing well and their work if often held up as exemplar work. In reality they do well because we do tons of math at home. Many of the top math students are getting outside tutoring, going to Kumon/Mathnasium, or working with their parents at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question is not who is the student it is who is the teacher. The parents are the teacher, every single night. The kids do not understand the material, they are given homework they can not accomplish, the parents teach the material. If the child goes to school the next day and asks the teacher to reteach the material they can't because they have to stay on track and move to the next lesson whether the kids understand it or not.

If this is the problem, a textbook won't solve it.

Yes it can, I can review the material and teach it.

Some text books even have the chapter noted so you can refer back.

Just google it. Seriously. It is faster, will be better explained, and your kid won't be lugging a textbook back and forth.

"How to solve systems of equations by substitution" will immediately hand you 17,000 websites, videos, worksheets, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about no available textbooks that correspond to the curriculum being taught, so kids can't really review?!

Good teachers don't use textbooks, because they realize that the vast majority of today's kids do not learn from copying problems over from a book the way we did 20+ years ago.

I go to training after training trying to get old school teachers to wean away from using textbooks. They are a crutch for people who do not know how to follow a pacing guide and come up with activities and lessons that really demonstrate understanding.

Parents need textbooks. Kids don't.

That's because they are not using them. Are you saying kids' brains are different today? Then put all the exercises online or make it downloadable. From what I can see, they don't memorize or do many exercises. Yes parents need textbooks so they can help their kids -- this matters too. I am lost. How does that help my kids?

Who's in school here?

The question is not who is the student it is who is the teacher. The parents are the teacher, every single night. The kids do not understand the material, they are given homework they can not accomplish, the parents teach the material. If the child goes to school the next day and asks the teacher to reteach the material they can't because they have to stay on track and move to the next lesson whether the kids understand it or not.

Rich parents hire a tutor which is why wealthy neighborhoods perform better.

To the PP that needs the book. I just use Khan academy to review the material. It is better than most the teachers anyway and can be watched more than once.

MEANWHILE - the kids in Singapore, India, Japan, Korea, China...all use textbooks along with other means of learning....and are beating the kids in USA hands-down in Math.

Really? Please use common sense. Have a book that follows the curriculum, and builds upon knowledge systematically.

I am doing that for my son, because what they are teaching to him is hap-hazard at best.

And yes, this kid is in HGC...not because of brain power or excellent teachers or anything like that, but because concepts are taught to him by me in a systematic manner. Using a textbook.

My question is - why are parents, school system, teachers - not on the same team? Why are parents marginalized? When we cannot have a sense of how are kids are doing because of stupid report cards and grading?

When the curriculum is comprised of a series of buzz words that add up to nothing and when text books are not used so that parents can help their children at home - the kids do not stand a chance.

I am sooooo tempted to start a school, because, my God, these kids have the capacity to shine. And we are just setting them up for failure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about no available textbooks that correspond to the curriculum being taught, so kids can't really review?!

Good teachers don't use textbooks, because they realize that the vast majority of today's kids do not learn from copying problems over from a book the way we did 20+ years ago.

I go to training after training trying to get old school teachers to wean away from using textbooks. They are a crutch for people who do not know how to follow a pacing guide and come up with activities and lessons that really demonstrate understanding.

Parents need textbooks. Kids don't.

kids at that age need to ask the teacher questions and the parents do not need the books to dothe work for the kids, the ykids need to be responsible to speak up, ask questions, and study. studying doesn't mean sitting with a phone and answering every text that comes in.

And the teacher does not have time and has to move on.

Parents are not doing the homework the are teaching the lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about no available textbooks that correspond to the curriculum being taught, so kids can't really review?!

Good teachers don't use textbooks, because they realize that the vast majority of today's kids do not learn from copying problems over from a book the way we did 20+ years ago.

I go to training after training trying to get old school teachers to wean away from using textbooks. They are a crutch for people who do not know how to follow a pacing guide and come up with activities and lessons that really demonstrate understanding.

Parents need textbooks. Kids don't.

That's because they are not using them. Are you saying kids' brains are different today? Then put all the exercises online or make it downloadable. From what I can see, they don't memorize or do many exercises. Yes parents need textbooks so they can help their kids -- this matters too. I am lost. How does that help my kids?

Who's in school here?

The question is not who is the student it is who is the teacher. The parents are the teacher, every single night. The kids do not understand the material, they are given homework they can not accomplish, the parents teach the material. If the child goes to school the next day and asks the teacher to reteach the material they can't because they have to stay on track and move to the next lesson whether the kids understand it or not.

Rich parents hire a tutor which is why wealthy neighborhoods perform better.

To the PP that needs the book. I just use Khan academy to review the material. It is better than most the teachers anyway and can be watched more than once.

MEANWHILE - the kids in Singapore, India, Japan, Korea, China...all use textbooks along with other means of learning....and are beating the kids in USA hands-down in Math.

Really? Please use common sense. Have a book that follows the curriculum, and builds upon knowledge systematically.

I am doing that for my son, because what they are teaching to him is hap-hazard at best.

And yes, this kid is in HGC...not because of brain power or excellent teachers or anything like that, but because concepts are taught to him by me in a systematic manner. Using a textbook.

My question is - why are parents, school system, teachers - not on the same team? Why are parents marginalized? When we cannot have a sense of how are kids are doing because of stupid report cards and grading?

When the curriculum is comprised of a series of buzz words that add up to nothing and when text books are not used so that parents can help their children at home - the kids do not stand a chance.

I am sooooo tempted to start a school, because, my God, these kids have the capacity to shine. And we are just setting them up for failure.

Amen. What textbook(s) do you use? For what grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question is not who is the student it is who is the teacher. The parents are the teacher, every single night. The kids do not understand the material, they are given homework they can not accomplish, the parents teach the material. If the child goes to school the next day and asks the teacher to reteach the material they can't because they have to stay on track and move to the next lesson whether the kids understand it or not.

If this is the problem, a textbook won't solve it.

Yes it can, I can review the material and teach it.

Some text books even have the chapter noted so you can refer back.

Just google it. Seriously. It is faster, will be better explained, and your kid won't be lugging a textbook back and forth.

"How to solve systems of equations by substitution" will immediately hand you 17,000 websites, videos, worksheets, etc.

Yea. Because the average person can look at a problem and say oh wow they are "solving systems of equations by substitution". Okay, nobody in the real Math world even says that. It is ridiculous. I need to know this was taught in ch 10, go back skim the chapter and reteach it in a way the student can understand it. Not the rote way the teacher taught it.

[Anonymous]

Blame the curriculum.

Blame the fact that elementary school teachers have to teach 3-4 different groups of kids on different levels during the math block.

Blame the fact that many schools have cut back on math homework, so there's no reinforcement of what they learned at school at home.

And, let's be real: Blame the fact that some of us otherwise smart people sucked at math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

MEANWHILE - the kids in Singapore, India, Japan, Korea, China...all use textbooks along with other means of learning....and are beating the kids in USA hands-down in Math.

Really? Please use common sense. Have a book that follows the curriculum, and builds upon knowledge systematically.

I am doing that for my son, because what they are teaching to him is hap-hazard at best.

And yes, this kid is in HGC...not because of brain power or excellent teachers or anything like that, but because concepts are taught to him by me in a systematic manner. Using a textbook.

My question is - why are parents, school system, teachers - not on the same team? Why are parents marginalized? When we cannot have a sense of how are kids are doing because of stupid report cards and grading?

When the curriculum is comprised of a series of buzz words that add up to nothing and when text books are not used so that parents can help their children at home - the kids do not stand a chance.

I am sooooo tempted to start a school, because, my God, these kids have the capacity to shine. And we are just setting them up for failure.

Amen. What textbook(s) do you use? For what grade?

I am using Houghton Mifflin Math books for 3, 4, 5th grade. You can also use Singapore Math books to teach other methods of solving problems.

However, I found Houghton Mifflin Math books to be quite well even kids to follow by themselves. Different ways of looking at the same problem is also shown. Supplement with Khan Academy and other sites and workbooks if you want.

I rely just on these textbooks (bought on Amazon.com - 2nd hand) to teach and get a grasp on curriculum.. The thing is that teachers jump from one topic to another very rapidly before the kids have actually internalized the concept, and they do not have a systematic way of teaching. There is a disconnect between what is being taught today and what was taught yesterday.

You will start seeing this disconnect when long division, long multiplication, decimals, fractions, percentage and ratio comes into play in ES. The kids do not understand the co-relation between these concepts.

I have no problem with curriculum 2.0 or whatever. But I also did not have a problem with the curriculum before that. I do have a problem with the way the kids are instructed (and I volunteer a lot in the Math classrooms, so I know what is going on) and the way textbooks are not used in MCPS ES.

BTW - I feel that most of these textbooks are well written. I am surprised then that they are not being used and handed to kids to keep at home.

I am all for incorporating new tools, techniques and technologies in the way Math is being taught, but I do not think that text books are redundant. I think the teachers are in a rush to complete units and teaching the way the textbooks are written will not allow them to rush through it. So they end up doing a piss poor job, because that is the direction they are getting from the school administration.