Dipping a toe into the water...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. We pay tuition, therefore the curriculum should be MORE WIDELY based on reliable, time-tested educational and psychological research. You act as if the publics have it all right.

No, the publics have it wrong too. I just expected the privates to do it better.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, PP, I'm not sure if this is just semantics. Are you suggesting that PUBLIC schools more often utilize curricula which are evidence-based than independent schools? As a rule? From my limited ken, I don't think this is accurate.

[Anonymous]

No, I am saying that they are both doing it wrong.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PP (I think I spent too long looking at the They're/Their/There thread, and now I can't understand what I'm reading!)

[jhuber]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to know what kind of problems you generally have at private schools.
I know of one teacher who took early retirement because she could no longer handle the parents!

Would you describe the parents as 'helicopter' parents who obsess about their average kid, believing that he/she has the ability of a super-human.
Are the children generally used to being pampered.

Please advice, I am seriously considering private schoo. But I do not want her to be in a learning environment where the teachers are always bending over backwards for the kids. I do not think that is good for type of kid I have.

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Greetings to all again...just enough time for a few more posts before heading off to vacation with my family!

To the poster quoted above: I would urge you to give a serious look to private school, as the stereotype of the "helicopter parent" can vary widely it its validity school to school. Having taught in independent school for many years, the helicopter parent is the exception rather than the rule.

What has become an increasing challenge for independent school teachers (as with society) is the greater need for communication with the advent of new technologies. I just listened to an NPR piece that said with each new means of communication we add, we don't drop the older one in its stead. So, when I began teaching, parent communication was by phone infrequently, and through printed/typed report cards, with handwritten notes in assignment books. Parents now expect and require independent schools to push out information much more frequently, both general information (email, website, class notes, weekly folders, etc.) as well as specific information on their child. It is good for teachers to communicate, and at times overcommunicate, but it takes more time than before - time that many teachers would like to devote to lesson planning, grading, coaching, etc. These communication tensions in independent schools are evident in discussions about online gradebooks. Many parents like them for their instant information, but they offer only a partial window on a child's achievement. An excellent article summarizing this is in the May 4th New York Times, titled "I Know What You Did Last Math Class: Programs that let parents track grades in real time are popular but can stress out families."

Of course, there is irony that I am posting this on a public forum - one more means of communicating!

[jhuber]

Anonymous wrote:ONE BIG QUESTION:
Why don't independent schools concentrate on curricula that are evidenced based, and maintain best practices from a pedagogical standpoint?

Are there particular curricula which you are thinking of? Those that have received federal or state review?

I think that the glory of independent schools is that they can craft curriculum to mission, and curriculum to unique student needs. Were teaching strictly a scientific process, we could all agree upon standard curricula, but I believe that good teaching transcends this. Great schools review curriculum regularly, searching for best practices, comparing to peers, and utilizing parts or the whole of extant curricular practices as they match the school's mission. In addition, a great independent school looks to hire outstanding faculty to imprint their methodologies, passions, and interests to motivate student learning. After all, what most of us remember about our own schooling is not its curriculum but its teachers, which inspired us to pursue our specialized academic interests.

[Anonymous]

Mr. Huber, does your school use the frowned upon spiral math curricula such as Everyday Math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mr. Huber, does your school use the frowned upon spiral math curricula such as Everyday Math?

I denote in your question a bias against Everyday Math...I don't think that there's been a math curriculum invented that hasn't drawn heat and vitriol.

My school uses the Everyday Math series for our Lower School (gr. 1-4). After spending this past year carefully analyzing our mathematics curriculum, bringing together teachers / administrators / parents into the task force, we have reaffirmed our wish to continue using the series for these grades. To augment mastery of basic math skills and computation (one of the frequent public complaints of Everyday Math series, that nothing really gets "finished"), we will be introducing the on-line First in Math subscription series, which allows teachers to better differentiate homework for reinforcement, with math problems covering word problems, computation skills, etc.

I don't think good teaching is about blind allegiance to a single textbook series. Textbooks are not the same as curriculum or pedagogy, they are merely tools. Not long ago I had the pleasure of watching one of my lower school teachers introduce division to his students. His introductory approach incorporated a variety of methods, such that by the end of his lesson, all of his students could demonstrate understanding of basic division (with remainders), and each had had exposure to a "toolbox" of mathematically sounds methods.

A former school of mine did not use Everyday Math, and one of the ongoing concerns was that there weren't enough real-life problem solving activities, therefore the supplement required were more Everyday Math-like activities. Balance in all things...

In my younger days I taught Latin, so discussions about textbook series drew much less heat, and I was grateful for it! It allowed me to blend traditional memorization of grammatical endings with a more intuitive reading approach, regardless of the textbook series used.

[jhuber]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mr. Huber, does your school use the frowned upon spiral math curricula such as Everyday Math?

I denote in your question a bias against Everyday Math...I don't think that there's been a math curriculum invented that hasn't drawn heat and vitriol.

My school uses the Everyday Math series for our Lower School (gr. 1-4). After spending this past year carefully analyzing our mathematics curriculum, bringing together teachers / administrators / parents into the task force, we have reaffirmed our wish to continue using the series for these grades. To augment mastery of basic math skills and computation (one of the frequent public complaints of Everyday Math series, that nothing really gets "finished"), we will be introducing the on-line First in Math subscription series, which allows teachers to better differentiate homework for reinforcement, with math problems covering word problems, computation skills, etc.

I don't think good teaching is about blind allegiance to a single textbook series. Textbooks are not the same as curriculum or pedagogy, they are merely tools. Not long ago I had the pleasure of watching one of my lower school teachers introduce division to his students. His introductory approach incorporated a variety of methods, such that by the end of his lesson, all of his students could demonstrate understanding of basic division (with remainders), and each had had exposure to a "toolbox" of mathematically sounds methods.

A former school of mine did not use Everyday Math, and one of the ongoing concerns was that there weren't enough real-life problem solving activities, therefore the supplement required were more Everyday Math-like activities. Balance in all things...

In my younger days I taught Latin, so discussions about textbook series drew much less heat, and I was grateful for it! It allowed me to blend traditional memorization of grammatical endings with a more intuitive reading approach, regardless of the textbook series used.

Forgot to sign in again, my apologies. It's difficult for me to tell on this form when one is logged in. The verbose reply of the previous post is mine.

[Anonymous]

This is my concern, why don't school administrators rely on researchers to tell you what would be best? I am in medicaine, and if I used intuition to treat patients, some would be ok, but many would die. I rely on research because the researchers take the time to look carefully and study outcomes. The fact that schools are defending EDM when all of the new research (not 15 years ago) is saying that it is junk, is a huge concern of mine. I think that if you are in education, you should know how to evaluate. Have you looked at Singapore Math? Have you looked at these studies about spiral curricula? Mr. Huber, it is our hard earned money, and the neighbors are laughing at us saying we are wasting it, they might be right.

Please read: A Coherent Curriculum... by Scmidt. Also, look at the outcomes of students in Catholic Schools in Math. Also, the Presidential blue ribbon panel about spiraling in math earlier this year. If you say that you take your jobs seriously, we as parents would like to see evidence of that. I respect that you took the time to respond to us crazy parents. Sorry in advance if I have offended you, but the privates school system is the one that is beginning to scare me.

[jhuber]

Anonymous wrote:This is my concern, why don't school administrators rely on researchers to tell you what would be best? I am in medicaine, and if I used intuition to treat patients, some would be ok, but many would die....Sorry in advance if I have offended you, but the privates school system is the one that is beginning to scare me.

There are enough topics brought out in the previous post for numerous separate posts. Rather than go point-by-point in response, I would argue that it highlights one of the strengths of independent schools. Put simply, there is diversity in educational missions and practices. For the parent who questions the use of Everyday Math in one school, there are other outstanding independent schools which use other approaches, and vice versa.

I will be away for a bit on a family vacation, I look forward to participating in this forum upon my return. Best to all.