Why are MoCo kids failing math exams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:curriculum - proper understanding = magic math

I have a degree in mathematics. Nothing on that test is "magic math" to me.

Me too. Let's agree to disagree. Peace out.

Me too, what the heck are all us math majors doing on DCUM.

Anyway, the teacher needs to teach it both ways (and a few other ways) because kids learn differently.

Namaste!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:p.s. it's not the test that's magic, it's the explanation of how to solve that I disagree with. I would prefer they save algebra until they can teach it correctly--I learned it in 7th grade when I had a good foundation in arithmetic to be able to delve in and be successful.

It doesn't have to be solved with algebra. I afterschool my son in Singapore Math and they start off with number bonds which are made up of whole , part, part. And the students compose and decompose numbers to see the relationship. In Singapore Math they would have the student do bar modeling to see the relationship and solve the problem, which is far superior to just having a teacher say memorize if you see a number do this.
For example m- 53 = 154
Start of with a line that is m
-------------------------

Break off 53 and you are left with 154
--------l-----------------
53.......l......154.........

If the formating works on this post it is easy to see you need to add 53 +154 to get your answer.

[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.

This parent was an A student in math and scored very well on the Math SAT way back when textbooks were in fashion.
Not sure this new direction is helping matters.
I would surely like a textbook to help re-teach the math to my child (also a high scorer, but LD gets in way sometimes from learning the first go around in class) when needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Agreed! My DD is struggling in Algebra 1 big time. I have spent hundreds upon hundreds on tutors - one who is specialized is MoCo math. I gave him access to DD's Edline account so he could see the content of upcoming tests. He has commented more than once on how fast they are moving thru the curriculum with little review time and that they are covering a lot of A2 content in A1 without the foundations being in place so these kids are lost!

I agree with the text in bold, but the problem is with the curriculum, not the teachers. Many MCPS teachers believe the curriculum is too accelerated, but MCPS has staked its reputation on this and many parents fall for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Agreed! My DD is struggling in Algebra 1 big time. I have spent hundreds upon hundreds on tutors - one who is specialized is MoCo math. I gave him access to DD's Edline account so he could see the content of upcoming tests. He has commented more than once on how fast they are moving thru the curriculum with little review time and that they are covering a lot of A2 content in A1 without the foundations being in place so these kids are lost!

I agree with the text in bold, but the problem is with the curriculum, not the teachers. Many MCPS teachers believe the curriculum is too accelerated, but MCPS has staked its reputation on this and many parents fall for it.

When they try to slow down the curriculum, parents complain about that.

[Anonymous]

It's not that many parents fall for it. It's that many parents have no choice. What is the alternative? Private school?

I agree the problem is with the curriculum. Who is writing it and why are they trying to reinvent the wheel when there are good curricula out there? This is a mess and our kids are paying the price.

I met with a teacher to look at one of the tests they "can't" send home. I wanted to note some area where my child missed questions and was told, "I have to ask you not to take notes on the test."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not that many parents fall for it. It's that many parents have no choice. What is the alternative? Private school?

I agree the problem is with the curriculum. Who is writing it and why are they trying to reinvent the wheel when there are good curricula out there? This is a mess and our kids are paying the price.

I met with a teacher to look at one of the tests they "can't" send home. I wanted to note some area where my child missed questions and was told, "I have to ask you not to take notes on the test."

Well, yes, in our case private school was the alternative. But here's another option: don't insist or even assent to putting your kid in the fast-track class if s/he needs tutoring to stay afloat. This simply perpetuates the systemic over-acceleration.

[Anonymous]

Teachers will always blame the dumb kids sometimes forgetting they were once dumb kids and that's why they are teachers.

Valedictorian, Ivy league educated, now teach public school.

Please don't stereotype.

And here comes the outlier and the exception rather than the rule. What happened the Ivy league kicked your butt following the grade inflated weighted 5.0. I went to college with many who crashed and "checked out of premed or pre X" when elevated to the next level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not that many parents fall for it. It's that many parents have no choice. What is the alternative? Private school?

I agree the problem is with the curriculum. Who is writing it and why are they trying to reinvent the wheel when there are good curricula out there? This is a mess and our kids are paying the price.

I met with a teacher to look at one of the tests they "can't" send home. I wanted to note some area where my child missed questions and was told, "I have to ask you not to take notes on the test."

THAT is the main reason why we left for private for our eldest. This county is ridiculous on their top secret tests. Take it, fail it, move it. No looking, no relearning, no fixing the wrong answers. NO ONE is learning or digesting it. It is memorized until the test and then onto the next round of memorization. Parents have to push to be involved and teachers dig their heels. Horrible process

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Teachers will always blame the dumb kids sometimes forgetting they were once dumb kids and that's why they are teachers.

Valedictorian, Ivy league educated, now teach public school.

Please don't stereotype.

And here comes the outlier and the exception rather than the rule. What happened the Ivy league kicked your butt following the grade inflated weighted 5.0. I went to college with many who crashed and "checked out of premed or pre X" when elevated to the next level.

No, I graduated and worked for several years in big name consulting, found no joy in it, and went back to a no-name school to get a masters of education and teach. I love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I agree with the text in bold, but the problem is with the curriculum, not the teachers. Many MCPS teachers believe the curriculum is too accelerated, but MCPS has staked its reputation on this and many parents fall for it.

When they try to slow down the curriculum, parents complain about that.

Yes, that's the part I'm always impressed about.

The people who hate MCPS because the math curriculum is too accelerated get together with the people who hate MCPS because the math curriculum is too slow, and yes, they find common ground in hating MCPS -- but really they're disagreeing with each other. Unless the MCPS math curriculum is simultaneously too accelerated AND too slow?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Teachers will always blame the dumb kids sometimes forgetting they were once dumb kids and that's why they are teachers.

Valedictorian, Ivy league educated, now teach public school.

Please don't stereotype.

And here comes the outlier and the exception rather than the rule. What happened the Ivy league kicked your butt following the grade inflated weighted 5.0. I went to college with many who crashed and "checked out of premed or pre X" when elevated to the next level.

What an opinion you have of teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And here comes the outlier and the exception rather than the rule. What happened the Ivy league kicked your butt following the grade inflated weighted 5.0. I went to college with many who crashed and "checked out of premed or pre X" when elevated to the next level.

What an opinion you have of teachers.

+1. People like the first PP have some sad agenda that gets in the way of rational thought and understanding.

[Anonymous]

Teachers that actually teach the material and then test children on what they were really taught would be a good start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I agree with the text in bold, but the problem is with the curriculum, not the teachers. Many MCPS teachers believe the curriculum is too accelerated, but MCPS has staked its reputation on this and many parents fall for it.

When they try to slow down the curriculum, parents complain about that.

Yes, that's the part I'm always impressed about.

The people who hate MCPS because the math curriculum is too accelerated get together with the people who hate MCPS because the math curriculum is too slow, and yes, they find common ground in hating MCPS -- but really they're disagreeing with each other. Unless the MCPS math curriculum is simultaneously too accelerated AND too slow?

They don't separate the kids properly and it isn't about speed, it is about understanding. Teachers are on a robotic time frame so there is no review, changing things up so others understand and so forth.