Wednesday, March 18, 2009
republicans and algebra?
two good ideas: a group of republican lawmakers are pushing an education proposal which will enable florida students to better compete against students worldwide. the bills (HB 1293, SB 2654) would set forth requirements for florida students that would ensure they had to take higher level math and science classes in order to graduate. this can't be done on the cheap so it would be nice to see the republicans, embrace, smile, rep. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, who is pushing his own education bill that would raise the state sales tax by 1 cent to pay for education. at a Florida Education Association press conference Bullard pointed out that there is no way lawmakers can address standards without looking at the money. he said,“We can't have the conversation about increased standards and not begin to address the issues in and around increasing the funding or providing revenue that will help alleviate the burdens, of teachers, administrators, school boards school systems, et cetera.,” the increase in the sales tax by a penny for three years, would generate $3.5 billion for schools. let's hope the folks in florida do a bit more than "have a conversation", for the kids sake. more to come.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
who is andres alonso?
Andrés Alonso is an immigrant with four Ivy League degrees. He has been tasked in Baltimore to bring a culture of high achievement to a school system where historically only about half the students have graduated. It is an enormous task, one at which many have failed, not only here but in cities across America. But Alonso, a 51-year-old bachelor, believes fervently that the poor, minority children born into America's underclass don't have to be stuck there. His urgency and intensity, often fueled by little more than diet Lipton green tea, have inspired some employees and alienated others. Read more.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
girls, boys and algebra
here is a story from the phillipines dealing with the performance of girls and boys in 8th grade algebra. read it.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
facing up to the algebra business around the country
here are some recent articles on algebra around the country. we have to bell this cat. there is no way around it. the thing to understand is that this is not very hard to do. what is required is sustained will on the part of the community. the first article deals with some efforts in minnesota Charlie Weaver: What's worse: A tough test or a free pass? and the second concerns efforts in orange county california.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
something to ponder
Question from Danny Martin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Education and Mathematics, University of Illinois at Chicago:
While I agree that we need to give focused attention to the needs of African Ameircan males, I am always very troubled by the ways in which these these boys, and their needs, are framed. I am particularly troubled that the needs of African American boys are determined based on how they differ from white boys and African American girls. Comparisons such as these produce the damaging message that African American boys are changeworthty and that there is something wrong with them rather than something being wrong with the practices and systems that devalue their very being. A comparison with white boys, for example, carries with it an assumption that outcomes for white boys should the norm and goal for black boys. I would argue that this is an artificially low standard and that black boys should be allowed to develop and thrive to their full potential, not based on what is deemed acceptable or good for white boys. Comparing black boys to black females carries with it a dangerous and pernicious assault on black masculinity. The assumptions under both comparisons seem to be that, in order to be successful, black boys must become less black (more like white boys) and that they must become more feminine (more like African American girls). What I also find troubling is how many so-called experts and policy-makers proliferate this rhetoric without ever questioning the very premises on which they operate. Anyone who frames the needs of black boys in terms of how they differ from white boys is in no way an expert. To begin your discussion here says that you, a priori, accept the inferiority of African American boys. In my view, there is nothing inherently wrong with black boys. Many of the behaviors of these young boys are responses to systems of oppression that continue to mount vicious assaults on them everyday.
My comments are not meant to romanticize the state of black males. However, I question the very way that the so-called "problem of black boys" is framed. Black boys don't need to be like white boys and black boys don't need to be like African American girls. Black boys need to be cared for, loved, and respected. The truth is that too many people who work in schools and other societal institutions do not care about black boys.
I'd like your guests to comment on my assertions. If the above issues are too heavy-hitting, I'd like your guests to address the following question: How much day-to-day work do you do with African American boys, outside of research?
Thank you.
Danny Martin, Ph.D.
Michael Holzman:
I agree that African American male students should be allowed/encouraged/helped to achieve their full potential.
Comparisons wth White (or Hispanic or Asian) boy and girls are useful for pointing to inequities with the allocation of resources, including teacher professional development.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
these are both valid and necessary ways of seeing the world. i was at a conference once where one of the speakers mentioned that in some not so recent year the number of asian students with perfect act scores was greater than the total number of african american students taking the test. it seems to to me that while we ought to be aware of the negatives of these comparisons we have to face the facts. it's the only way to move forward. more to come.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While I agree that we need to give focused attention to the needs of African Ameircan males, I am always very troubled by the ways in which these these boys, and their needs, are framed. I am particularly troubled that the needs of African American boys are determined based on how they differ from white boys and African American girls. Comparisons such as these produce the damaging message that African American boys are changeworthty and that there is something wrong with them rather than something being wrong with the practices and systems that devalue their very being. A comparison with white boys, for example, carries with it an assumption that outcomes for white boys should the norm and goal for black boys. I would argue that this is an artificially low standard and that black boys should be allowed to develop and thrive to their full potential, not based on what is deemed acceptable or good for white boys. Comparing black boys to black females carries with it a dangerous and pernicious assault on black masculinity. The assumptions under both comparisons seem to be that, in order to be successful, black boys must become less black (more like white boys) and that they must become more feminine (more like African American girls). What I also find troubling is how many so-called experts and policy-makers proliferate this rhetoric without ever questioning the very premises on which they operate. Anyone who frames the needs of black boys in terms of how they differ from white boys is in no way an expert. To begin your discussion here says that you, a priori, accept the inferiority of African American boys. In my view, there is nothing inherently wrong with black boys. Many of the behaviors of these young boys are responses to systems of oppression that continue to mount vicious assaults on them everyday.
My comments are not meant to romanticize the state of black males. However, I question the very way that the so-called "problem of black boys" is framed. Black boys don't need to be like white boys and black boys don't need to be like African American girls. Black boys need to be cared for, loved, and respected. The truth is that too many people who work in schools and other societal institutions do not care about black boys.
I'd like your guests to comment on my assertions. If the above issues are too heavy-hitting, I'd like your guests to address the following question: How much day-to-day work do you do with African American boys, outside of research?
Thank you.
Danny Martin, Ph.D.
Michael Holzman:
I agree that African American male students should be allowed/encouraged/helped to achieve their full potential.
Comparisons wth White (or Hispanic or Asian) boy and girls are useful for pointing to inequities with the allocation of resources, including teacher professional development.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
these are both valid and necessary ways of seeing the world. i was at a conference once where one of the speakers mentioned that in some not so recent year the number of asian students with perfect act scores was greater than the total number of african american students taking the test. it seems to to me that while we ought to be aware of the negatives of these comparisons we have to face the facts. it's the only way to move forward. more to come.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Algebra-for-All Policy Found to Raise Rates Of Failure in Chicago
Algebra-for-All Policy Found to Raise Rates Of Failure in Chicago
this is to be expected. one of the most important issues in this process is developing a cadre of teachers who have real expertise in algebra in particular and mathematics in general. mandating that a larger number of kids take algebra without insisting that the people who teach them actually know algebra is a recipe for higher failure rates. more important, there is no doubt that algebra proficiency is a necessary condition for academic success so the fact that failure rate rises when we insist on broader student participation in the algebra classes is not a reason to stop teaching or to stop insisting on algebra for all ninth graders in chicago. be clear, the african american high school dropout rate is around 50%. this number is a reflection of the inability of our children to deal effectively with basic algebra! we must continue to support efforts that aim to increase our children's participation in this game.
this is to be expected. one of the most important issues in this process is developing a cadre of teachers who have real expertise in algebra in particular and mathematics in general. mandating that a larger number of kids take algebra without insisting that the people who teach them actually know algebra is a recipe for higher failure rates. more important, there is no doubt that algebra proficiency is a necessary condition for academic success so the fact that failure rate rises when we insist on broader student participation in the algebra classes is not a reason to stop teaching or to stop insisting on algebra for all ninth graders in chicago. be clear, the african american high school dropout rate is around 50%. this number is a reflection of the inability of our children to deal effectively with basic algebra! we must continue to support efforts that aim to increase our children's participation in this game.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
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