Reply to Excellent summary about what is so wrong about the MCPS math curriculum

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Reply to "Excellent summary about what is so wrong about the MCPS math curriculum"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Sounds like most of us are in agreement with what is wrong: 
1. lack of differentiation. I hear at some schools they move kids up for math. Others not so much 
2. forcing strategies on the kids when they don't need them.[/quote]

Yes but the article touched on a very important point that is actually the bigger problem. The new math curriculum does not teach students the underlaying foundation of math or develop math centric skills to be able to execute advanced math. By thinking that math can be broken up into these small segments that are presented in no logical order, the creators failed to understand that math is a system not an anthology independent concepts. Each math concept is not like a work of fiction that can be read separately and in various order. By thinking that math is an exercise that is better understood through verbalization and language skills because this is how the MCPS staff think, they have failed to deliver a curriculum that builds math skills rather than language skills.

I actually think that the fight to bring back acceleration is not the right fight. Accelerating through a bad curriculum that doesn't teach math doesn't solve the problem. The fight needs to be about taking math curriculum development out of the hands of MCPS staff. MCPS can look to the private who adopt other published and research reviewed math curriculums.  Once the curriculum is fixed, then parents should fight for students to receive the appropriate level of education for their abilities which means grouping and acceleration.

The problem is that there are no checks and balances within MCPS. MCPS central office staff pulled staff that they liked into the curriculum office. These individuals are in no way qualified to create a curriculum!! They can not hold themselves accountable and never will. They will only rationalize, avoid, and ignore the problem that they created because they are the ones at fault.  [/quote]

Yes, acceleration in a bad curriculum is worthless.  It was only a viable solution when it was an escape valve, which it was until now.  The above grade level ES students were the last to be pulled into 2.0 and many students skirted just ahead of the rollout as long as possible.  The HS magnet is still an escape valve because it begins with courses that haven't been touched by reform and outpaces the ones that ever will be.  [/quote]

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