Common Core

[fuffle master]

Traci Davis Salary Compared to Past Superintendents

It's no secret that some people have been critical of Traci Davis' role as Superintendent of the Washoe County School District. A lot of people still talk about her salary.

www.ktvn.com

This is very close to home for me. My district recently fired the sup. She was terrible. Very over paid, and didn't even reside in the district. Clothing budgets, car budget (when the district has company cars), etc etc etc.

Sorry for the bad apple. There are always going to be some. As a school director, our two biggest decision ever is going to be hiring a Superintendent and the student's Curriculum. We make a mistake and it will cost the entire community and all stakeholders dearly. My district is coming up on that process now and I expect we will take upwards of a year to interview and decide on who is best to run our district for years to come.

Now, back to our debate on why Common Core is bad and I am the only one trying to defend it to a point. Bring on my at-home math teachers baby!

 

[Templet0n]

Sorry for the bad apple. There are always going to be some. As a school director, our two biggest decision ever is going to be hiring a Superintendent and the student's Curriculum. We make a mistake and it will cost the entire community and all stakeholders dearly. My district is coming up on that process now and I expect we will take upwards of a year to interview and decide on who is best to run our district for years to come.

Now, back to our debate on why Common Core is bad and I am the only one trying to defend it to a point. Bring on my at-home math teachers baby!

Agreed. I am a slight common core math defender myself. My perspective coming as a student that loved to read but struggled with math. I think common core may have helped me.

 

[fuffle master]

I am a bit curious about the question of common core base 10 idea.

When you are given the problem 170 divided by 15 and asked to come up with the answer, do you immediately get out a piece of paper and use the "old math" or in your head go 15 x 10 is 150, 170 - 150 is 20. 15 goes into 20 once with 5 left over for an answer of 11 with a remainder of 5.

Which do you use? If you use the base 10, well you use common core

 

[Templet0n]

I am a bit curious about the question of common core base 10 idea.

When you are given the problem 170 divided by 15 and asked to come up with the answer, do you immediately get out a piece of paper and use the "old math" or in your head go 15 x 10 is 150, 170 - 150 is 20. 15 goes into 20 once with 5 left over for an answer of 11 with a remainder of 5.

Which do you use? If you use the base 10, well you use common core

What do I do?? I use available tools.

 

[fuffle master]

What do I do?? I use available tools.

View attachment 8936346

Now, that is a different problem we have with children today. How many times have you gone to the cashier and without the register telling the younger person the amount of change they can't get it correct? Good luck when the bill is 9.61 and you give the student cashier 10.01. 40 cents, please

 

[Templet0n]

Now, that is a different problem we have with children today. How many times have you gone to the cashier and without the register telling the younger person the amount of change they can't get it correct? Good luck when the bill is 9.61 and you give the student cashier 10.01. 40 cents, please

I do that on purpose. "that will be $7.45" I hand them $9.36 then watch the smoke.. hahahaha.

 

[Canes]

State of Florida removed common core math a year ago... thank goodness

 

[Jman]

You are a teacher if you instructed your students to do research or perform the project with one method and the student ignored that and used their own method, are you telling me you wouldn't care that they ignored your instruction and still give full credit?

I’m saying I have common sense, something common core doesn’t, and would realize there a multiple ways to do the equations. Why should a correct answer, that still shows work, be incorrect? That’s as bad as the teacher who gives zeros for not self grading in a red pen or doing an assignment in pen instead of pencil.

 

[Jman]

While I agree with you 100% that teachers have an incredibly hard job. I couldn't do it. However, at least in our state, teachers are revered and school directors are at constant pressure to find ways to not raise taxes while continuing to give raises to all teachers. Parents will fight for teachers to the end and feel they deserve to be paid accordingly. I don't see anywhere that parents don't appreciate all that teachers do.

As for the test, I again totally agree with you. However, that you know is all about politics and money. Even if proven the tests were not needed (which I agree many are not needed) the powers that be and lobbyists would never let that happen.

Your state is rare. Very rare.

 

[Gyro25]

State of Florida removed common core math a year ago... thank goodness

Have the "today a Florida man" headlines increased or decreased since then? That's how well know if common core was helpful or not

 

[fuffle master]

Your state is rare. Very rare.

Sorry to hear, when our teacher contract is up, not only the teachers are at our meetings, but the parents as well to show their support. Yet, the parents also show up when we raise taxes and yell at us for why. I tell them to ask the teachers

 

[JoeHatesSnow]

I’m saying I have common sense, something common core doesn’t, and would realize there a multiple ways to do the equations. Why should a correct answer, that still shows work, be incorrect? That’s as bad as the teacher who gives zeros for not self grading in a red pen or doing an assignment in pen instead of pencil.

Just spitballing, but maybe if the "correct answer" isn't the lesson? :confused2:

 

[Scorp]

Just for fun, Hangman Division was maybe the 1st time I cursed Common Core

View attachment 8936300

@tequila4kapp that sure is a long way to come to an answer... if only someone had taught them to multiply by 10 they'd have eliminated several steps.

 

[shanewu]

Show kids both methods and show them that they are doing the same thing in a different way.

I have no problem with multiple methods being taught, but give the student latitude to decide which method is best for them.

Yup, people learn differently so recognizing that is good

 

[leftshot]

My granddaughter Ellie learned multiplication at age 5 and it was easy. We'd previously taught her to skip count as a way to learn her numbers. Her mom and I introduced multiplication by relating it to skip counting. 2x3= is like skip counting every other number 3 times. 4x2= is like skip counting by 4 two times. She got the concept of multiplication within 15 minutes. After that, she started memorizing the combinations, using skip counting for a while to verify her answers, which she discarded soon thereafter. ...because like most kids she wants to get through her homework quickly.

 

[dacatalyst41]

Common Crap. Makes it so difficult to teach at home. My daughter seems to catch on to the conventional method much faster.

 

[leftshot]

Anybody remember doing proofs in Geometry? Most of us spent a semester learning and proving theorems. I already admitted being a math nerd. Well I found three others with a similarly demented love of math and we would do this homework together. But just doing the homework was boring, so we made a game of it. In most cases, there is an obvious way to prove the theorem. So, our game was to challenge each other to solve the theorem using a non-obvious method. The winner was the person who did so with the least number of steps. (I know, most of you can't relate to this as "fun", but we had a ball.)

Later, I became good friends with this teacher. I remember going to his retirement party a couple of decades later. Two of the three other students that were in this study group were there and we reminisced over this game. Our former teacher overheard us and said, "So THAT'S what you were doing? I taught two classes in Geometry that year. Over 60 students. Everyone solved the problem the same way, except you four. I spent as long grading your papers as I did grading the rest of both classes. What was worse is you always got it right!" We all had a big laugh together, though I suspect my teacher wasn't laughing at the time.

We learned more than anyone else in that class. If we did this today the teacher would probably be instructed to tell us we got the answer wrong.

 

[leftshot]

Now, that is a different problem we have with children today. How many times have you gone to the cashier and without the register telling the younger person the amount of change they can't get it correct? Good luck when the bill is 9.61 and you give the student cashier 10.01. 40 cents, please

We used to call that person "functionally illiterate". Now the appropriate term is "mistaught".

 

[BigMac]

The only thing I will say is of you asked me 312*23 and I had no paper and no calculator. The math I would do in my head looks kind of like common core.

I would do 300*2 is 600 so 300*20 is 6000 and then 300*3 is 900 so 300*23 is 6900

Then 12*10 is 120 so 12*20 is 240 and 12*3 is 36 so 12*23 is 276

312*23 is 7,176

I get breaking it down like that when you're doing it in your head - I just did the equation in my head, I break it down a bit differently than you, but we'd arrive at the same answer: 312x2 = 624, x10 = 6240. 3x312 = 936. 6240+936=7176.

But even though that's how I'd break it down in my head I was forced to do it that way, it would be faster if I sat down with paper and pencil and worked out 312 x 23 in the conventional way.

 

[BigMac]

Just be thankful that your children didn't have to endure "Everyday Math" that's a topic for a different conversation …...

I think one place our education system fails in setting kids up for adulthood is that they DON'T teach "everyday math", in the form of the stuff you need for successful adulting - how to create a budget based upon your wages and live within it, balance a checkbook, teach about judicious use of revolving credit and how interest affects credit card debt, etc. Those things are going to be a lot more valuable to most people in everyday life than trigonometry, calculus or physics.

I admit I'm out of touch since I don't have kids and it's been quite a while since I was in high school, but we weren't taught any of those things. "Home economics" classes were all about cooking, and mostly only girls took those classes. Maybe they do teach the above stuff nowadays - I just think it would be a lot more useful in producing functional, smart adults.

 

[jbuck31]

I think one place our education system fails in setting kids up for adulthood is that they DON'T teach "everyday math", in the form of the stuff you need for successful adulting - how to create a budget based upon your wages and live within it, balance a checkbook, teach about judicious use of revolving credit and how interest affects credit card debt, etc. Those things are going to be a lot more valuable to most people in everyday life than trigonometry, calculus or physics.

I admit I'm out of touch since I don't have kids and it's been quite a while since I was in high school, but we weren't taught any of those things. "Home economics" classes were all about cooking, and mostly only girls took those classes. Maybe they do teach the above stuff nowadays - I just think it would be a lot more useful in producing functional, smart adults.

I agree 100% !!!

Unfortunately, the "Everyday Math" program that I was referring to was a program devised out of the University of Chicago, it wasn't based on balancing check books, or using math in an everyday environment. It was based on mostly estimations, allowing the kids to "have fun" with the curriculum. Too bad it did not really translate into what it was supposed to be. My wife did some research on it and there was a very low percentage of school systems that recommended using the program, Our school system recognized that the kids did not know basic math skills when they reached the middle school level and had to use a "connections math program" to attempt to get them up to speed so they would have a chance at the High School level programs, Algebra, Geometry, etc ….
They did finally abandon the program, but unfortunately all of my kids had to endure that mess.

 

[Jman]

I think one place our education system fails in setting kids up for adulthood is that they DON'T teach "everyday math", in the form of the stuff you need for successful adulting - how to create a budget based upon your wages and live within it, balance a checkbook, teach about judicious use of revolving credit and how interest affects credit card debt, etc. Those things are going to be a lot more valuable to most people in everyday life than trigonometry, calculus or physics.

I admit I'm out of touch since I don't have kids and it's been quite a while since I was in high school, but we weren't taught any of those things. "Home economics" classes were all about cooking, and mostly only girls took those classes. Maybe they do teach the above stuff nowadays - I just think it would be a lot more useful in producing functional, smart adults.

Real talk. They don’t do that because everyday math isn’t tested by the powers that be. Schools would LOVE to teach personal finance and those basics, but it’s not what teachers and schools are being judged on, and schools can’t risk losing funding, nor can teachers risk their jobs.

 

[Templet0n]

Anybody remember doing proofs in Geometry? Most of us spent a semester learning and proving theorems. I already admitted being a math nerd. Well I found three others with a similarly demented love of math and we would do this homework together. But just doing the homework was boring, so we made a game of it. In most cases, there is an obvious way to prove the theorem. So, our game was to challenge each other to solve the theorem using a non-obvious method. The winner was the person who did so with the least number of steps. (I know, most of you can't relate to this as "fun", but we had a ball.)

Later, I became good friends with this teacher. I remember going to his retirement party a couple of decades later. Two of the three other students that were in this study group were there and we reminisced over this game. Our former teacher overheard us and said, "So THAT'S what you were doing? I taught two classes in Geometry that year. Over 60 students. Everyone solved the problem the same way, except you four. I spent as long grading your papers as I did grading the rest of both classes. What was worse is you always got it right!" We all had a big laugh together, though I suspect my teacher wasn't laughing at the time.

We learned more than anyone else in that class. If we did this today the teacher would probably be instructed to tell us we got the answer wrong.

I wish that I was better at math or better taught math. It was a struggle for me my entire student career. In college I spent hours in the math lab right after class going over what I had just learned. I honestly do not think I ever really understood a lot of it. But, I got good enough at knowing a process to pass test. I would be completely lost now if I had to look at that stuff again.

Understanding is much much the superior to process. I think common core is aiming at that. Does it hit the mark? maybe not.

 

[Jman]

I wish that I was better at math or better taught math. It was a struggle for me my entire student career. In college I spent hours in the math lab right after class going over what I had just learned. I honestly do not think I ever really understood a lot of it. But, I got good enough at knowing a process to pass test. I would be completely lost now if I had to look at that stuff again.

Understanding is much much the superior to process. I think common core is aiming at that. Does it hit the mark? maybe not.

Definitey not.

And it’s all because we want to chase other countries math scores.

 

[Templet0n]

Definitey not.

And it’s all because we want to chase other countries math scores.

Gotcha.