tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post7313038173233581335..comments2024-03-28T10:16:44.231-07:00Comments on Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Common Core Math Standards: Worse for Our Kids and Millions of Dollars Wasted?Cliff Mass Weather Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13948649423540350788noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-14606555659547420802014-12-17T05:47:54.082-08:002014-12-17T05:47:54.082-08:00I'm not a big fan of standardized ANYTHING. It...I'm not a big fan of standardized ANYTHING. It teaches conformity in a society that claims to value independence and originality. I was a victim of standardized testing in my youth, pigeon-holed and required to think of myself as not highly intelligent because I didn't do well on tests. It was like Huxley's Brave New World. I devoted a number of years after High School to reading, study, and self-development, and I learned more in those few years than any of my teachers got across with their condescension and pigeon-holing. I am now a teacher and I enjoy a very high success rate because I do not talk down to my students, I do not believe in assembly-line teaching and I simply go in there, do my thing, and go home at the end of the day. My students score well above passing on those damned tests. I am a success because I believe and know that teaching is about imparting knowledge and character, not slamming people into bureaucratic molds to make someone in D.C. happy. I am sure I will be burned at the stake for this.Nunyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06314903713230315784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-35893869675015543542011-01-04T19:32:57.533-08:002011-01-04T19:32:57.533-08:00You forgot to mention that Washington heads up a 3...You forgot to mention that Washington heads up a 31-state consortium that was awarded a four-year $176 million Race to the Top assessment grant by the US Dept. of Education to develop a student assessment system aligned to a common core of academic standards. The Exceutive Director of the consortium is none other than Dr. Joe Willhoft, who was previously the Assistant Superintendent for Assessment and Student Information at OSPI under Randy Dorn. A delay in the adoption of Common Core Standards would deal more than just a blow to the state's Race to the Top application. It would be a huge embarrassment for the newly formed assessment consortium.Todd Hausmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10431390479448581011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-15027213355935144802011-01-04T16:42:20.485-08:002011-01-04T16:42:20.485-08:00I agree with your claim that our new state standar...I agree with your claim that our new state standards are are well written and raise the bar significantly. I am a currently unemployed JH/SH math teacher and am encouraged that our math standards will help more students reach college better equipped for college level math courses. One important piece that has not been mentioned is that school districts receive federal funding based on how their students measure up against their state standards. This is not a new Obama thing, it is from George W's "No Child Left Behind." While Washington's standards encourage student college readiness and proficiency, they are not easy to achieve and schools or districts will not meet the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) that is necessary to receive federal funds. Other states with lower standards won't have better prepared students, but their districts will still receive funding, potentially. <br /><br />I don't want to get rid of our state math standards, but I do want my students' success measured against a common benchmark and I don't think adopting the new standards is an "either/or" proposition. We can utilize both standards and measure our success against both. The national standards will not be more rigorous than our current standards, so why not let our students' achievement be measured with them? Districts don't have to make any other changes and the expenses you describe, Cliff, do not have to be a reality. Washington state math teachers can still guide their students toward mastery of current state standards and also see how our kids stack up against the rest of the country. I think we need the Common Core Math Standards.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07574330615666313362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-58028368505057922392011-01-04T11:55:38.826-08:002011-01-04T11:55:38.826-08:00Let us examine the hand of the UW's "Math...Let us examine the hand of the UW's "Math Ed Elites" in producing the chaos. <br /><br />Let us review the data that came out of the "UW Math Education Pros" work with the Seattle schools. From looking a individual schools, the greater the level of UW intervention the worse the math results became.<br /><br />Some are still selling the spin but now there exist extensive results and they are uniformly terrible. It is time to <a href="http://mathunderground.blogspot.com/2010/09/uw-professional-development-gone-bad.html" rel="nofollow">analyze results</a> rather than believing in fairy-tales and the "UW experts" must stop trying to get the rest of us to keep on believing.<br /><br />Tragically ...... OSPI, Seattle School District Administration, and four Seattle School Directors are among the few outside the Ed Elite Experts at UW still believing.<br /><br />"To improve a system requires the intelligent application of relevant data"dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-65854373792581887352011-01-04T10:24:00.666-08:002011-01-04T10:24:00.666-08:00In hopes of inspiring other readers, here's th...In hopes of inspiring other readers, here's the letter I've sent to Murry, Pederson, and Chopp:<br /><br />I'm sure you've received letters from other constituents as a result of Cliff Mass's article about math education standards: http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2011/01/common-core-math-standards-worse-for.html<br /><br />I have no children, and only informal family connections to the industry of education. But I am keenly interested in the competitiveness of Seattle on the global talent stage, and was prompted by professor Mass to learn more about this issue. I won't restate his argument for you, here, but please note that I consider adoption of the Common Core per SB6696 to be an egregious misstep in three ways:<br />• it will require unproductive expenditure <br />• it abdicates our goals to a national approach which reduces Washington's potential to outperform the nation, <br />and, most importantly, <br />• it is a lesser standard than our own doomed to result in lower proficiency in our workforce.<br /><br />Please work on my behalf to revoke or delay (pending assessment) our State's adoption of Common Core.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-73272406246361931752011-01-04T09:41:16.472-08:002011-01-04T09:41:16.472-08:00It should be noted that SB 6696 has already passed...It should be noted that SB 6696 has already passed, and delaying/stopping it would require new legislation. Important distinction when talking to our representatives.Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02205557761262972489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-69178250228467901802011-01-04T07:08:27.577-08:002011-01-04T07:08:27.577-08:00Is there anything that prevents the State from ado...Is there anything that prevents the State from adopting the common core standard *and* retaining its own higher standard? Is there anything in the current State standard that the common core standard requires *not* be taught? Seems like the State could just require meeting common core on the way to its own higher standard. Or does common core *require* math to be taught in ineffective ways incompatible with present State standards?Gerry Barnetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02697981765225241196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-47014634389575502702011-01-03T16:17:19.450-08:002011-01-03T16:17:19.450-08:00I agree with your analysis and would hope that the...I agree with your analysis and would hope that the State Legislature turns down the money from a Federal Government already deep in debt. <br /><br />Too much intrusion by the Federal Government has led to a lowering of educational standards - call it a phenomenon. Our educational system was in better shape before the Fed. Department of Education ever existed. Consequently, elimination of the Federal Dept. of Education would appear to be a step in the right direction and let the states have more authority. However, this transition needs to be done thoughtfully.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-90482128134116299472011-01-03T13:23:02.737-08:002011-01-03T13:23:02.737-08:00Thank you for the heads up on the "Common Cor...Thank you for the heads up on the "Common Core" issues. I had not heard of it prior to reading your entry.KurmudgeonlyYourshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05219737772198507984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-67089961965476996092011-01-03T13:20:35.916-08:002011-01-03T13:20:35.916-08:00Check out this job at OSPI
The SMARTER Balance A...Check out this job at OSPI<br /><br /><a href="http://www.k12.wa.us/employment/default.aspx" rel="nofollow"> The SMARTER Balance Assessment Consortium (SBAC) seeks a Program Manager </a>to fill a position in support the Executive Director of a multi-year project to design comprehensive assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards.<br /><br />This is just the tip of the spending iceberg, which we are about to be hit by:<br /><br />As the "Program Manager" performs various management and program coordination associated with all aspects of the SMARTER Balance Consortium (SBAC) through direct support to the SBAC Executive Director and OSPI Assessment Business Manager. <br /><br />So where is the funding to work with the children?<br /><br />Money for the development of more top down directives but little for schools. At least now you know where that stolen $208 million is headed.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-69648248022867755412011-01-03T11:10:57.569-08:002011-01-03T11:10:57.569-08:00Yup ...
We certainly have been Betrayed as in ...Yup ... <br /><br />We certainly have been Betrayed as in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Betrayed-Education-Establishment-America-about/dp/1610480449/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1294079111&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow">Betrayed:</a><br /> <i><b>How the Education Establishment has Betrayed America and What You Can Do about it </b></i><br /><br />The depth of centralized lunacy is remarkable. No one could possibly want more. ESSB 6696 needs to be rejected.<br /><br />The state recently redirected (stole) $208 million headed to individual school districts to maintain teacher ratios in the classroom during this recessionary time. The Gov. and legislature put the $208 million in the general fund. School districts received zero to maintain teaching positions. So much for fast tracking the money to get to school districts in time.<br /><br />For the state now to take money and spend it for more centralized nonsense like Common Core Standards and Core 24 shows how little concern there really is for students in the classroom. The concern seems to be for those far removed from the classroom. There is no need for more jobs for and more planning planning by those far removed from the classroom.<br /><br />Until this system is "Decentralized" it will continue to be the debacle that continues.<br /><br /> <i><b> "To improve a system requires the intelligent application of relevant data."</b></i>dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-2216869414658089522011-01-03T09:09:14.695-08:002011-01-03T09:09:14.695-08:00Cliff, I agree. And, there's more going here t...Cliff, I agree. And, there's more going here than good or bad math instruction. I work with lots of teenagers. A member of my youth group is a senior at Ingraham HS who scored a 2200 SAT. Apparently Seattle schools are working for him! His mental gift is not brilliance but rather a natural ability to focus his mind. Nobody taught this to him. Meanwhile, my daughter, a sophomore, reports that her #1 struggle in high school is dealing with the relentless distractions in a typical day. American high schools are, by design, beehives of hyperactivity. I know her math teachers; they are good. I also know that there is no way I could learn math in that environment (and I didn't; I picked it up later). Too many kids who don't want to be there. Too much eye and ear candy. What she IS learning are tremendous social and coping skills in an unfathomably complex social environment. This bodes well for some things, but not excellence in math. There are other, greater factors at work in our schools than standards and "rigor". Good math education IS rocket science, and the required "focus, practice, steady building of skills..." noted by Leigh is simply not available to many students in our schools because of the very nature of the school learning environment. Manipulating standards won't change that. Meanwhile, my college students report that they can't learn math at college (where I did) because teaching assistants doing the instruction have such poor American English skills that they are undecipherable. So your students in lecture in Condon Hall may not be learning any math either. Complicated, yes?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00725956306869620934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-15323141076593179122011-01-02T19:40:35.584-08:002011-01-02T19:40:35.584-08:00What's with the long-term snow forecasts here?...What's with the long-term snow forecasts here? Weather.com has snow and 37F on Monday 1/10 and on 1/11 Tuesday there is a 60% chance of snow and 38F. Accuweather.com shows mid-30's, and some snow. Looks to get interesting again. A ways out, sure, but even the NWS is talking about it in their discussions.HarrisonCZ7https://www.blogger.com/profile/07617586103350487911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-41012019283428070312011-01-02T17:14:15.210-08:002011-01-02T17:14:15.210-08:00I'd be skeptical of any math "standards&q...I'd be skeptical of any math "standards" coming from our government. Just look at how they handle numbers of any kind using various kinds of voodoo! Their official unemployment number at 9.8%, yet the data suggest its much higher, around 20%. The official inflation rate is around 1%. Yet anyone buying a bag of groceries, paying for health insurance, or pumping gas knows that its much higher. I'll refrain from discussing the budget, deficit and the national debt disgraces. <br /><br />Perhaps these lower standards are designed to train our kids so they won't ever notice these discrepancies.<br /><br />KWKenna Wickmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02802821050975830973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-45000329254752535622011-01-02T16:15:49.526-08:002011-01-02T16:15:49.526-08:00I'm sure someone has already commented, but th...I'm sure someone has already commented, but the last hyperlink points to the wrong location.mle_iihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08885448730959191844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-38249407885997180122011-01-02T15:43:42.542-08:002011-01-02T15:43:42.542-08:00I am on our local school board and I'm a CPA. ...I am on our local school board and I'm a CPA. Suffice it to say I care about Math Education. You are absolutely right about our propensity towards a quick fix. Good math education is not rocket science, but it requires focus, practice, steady building of skills and good standards. I applaud you and your willingness to speak out on this critical issue. (I like your weather blog too)Leigh (IS)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16522806709020995491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7478606652950905956.post-79157686262296806462011-01-02T15:33:58.275-08:002011-01-02T15:33:58.275-08:00You are right, Cliff. The problem is that money ta...You are right, Cliff. The problem is that money talks and Washington state is listening to the jingle. I can't see the legislature turning down any chance for more dollars even if it means lowering standards. Sorry to say to say it as blunt as that.Mike DeMarcohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09400442143371833282noreply@blogger.com