Re: The Math Teachers California Lacks

[MONICALUCIDO@comcast.net]

Here is a letter I sent in on this matter. I encourage others to do the same, if they feel strongly enough:

Dear Editor,

Wow. Such a surprise to see the State Board of Education vote in favor of every 
eighth grader taking algebra. Such a move will now send parents into panic mode 
to get tutoring help outside of school, since we are short so many math 
teachers. But I guess they didn't care about that. Maybe the private education 
lobby scammed it that way. Look at it as another opportunity for private 
corporations to siphon money from public schools. 

Joseph Lucido
CalCARE
Fresno
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>
> Editorial: Flap over algebra shouldn't hide the real issue
> ==========================================================
> 
> 
> Whether it's required or not, state must improve students' performance in math
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/1075230.html
> 
> Published Friday, July 11, 2008
> Story appeared in The Sacramento Bee EDITORIALS section, Page B6
> 
> The hue and cry over whether to require all California eighth-graders to take
> Algebra I within three years obscures the real issue: California needs to 
> improve
> math education so that students are ready to be successful in eighth-grade math.
> 
> The state's goal has been that all eighth-graders will take Algebra I ? and that
> course is a requirement for high school graduation. But the state has fallen far
> short of that goal. The fact is that only 15 middle schools out of 1,142 in
> California currently have all eighth-graders taking Algebra I.
> 
> And while the share of eighth-graders taking Algebra I has greatly improved 
> (from
> 34 percent in 2003 to 52 percent today), California's eighth-graders continue to
> rank among the lowest in the nation in math achievement. (They ranked 44th in
> 2007.)
> 
> It's not enough to offer students the Algebra I course. We have to do the
> groundwork for them to succeed.
> 
> So instead of decrying the State Board of Education's decision Wednesday to turn
> the state's goal for eighth-grade Algebra I into reality by making it a
> requirement, Californians should roll up their sleeves, fix the problems and
> remove the obstacles to mathematics success.
> 
> The largest problem is increasing the number of qualified math teachers. Of the
> 52 percent of California eighth-graders currently taking Algebra I, many have
> teachers who do not have a math credential and so may not have the knowledge to
> effectively teach the course. And the 219,000 eighth-graders who aren't 
> currently
> taking Algebra I will need qualified math teachers ? about 8,000 of them.
> 
> Educators and state officials have known about chronic shortages of math 
> teachers
> for many years. They also have known that the ongoing training for teachers in
> the field ? aimed at deepening their knowledge and boost their teaching skills ?
> is inadequate. But complacency has prevailed. The board's decision provides the
> impetus finally to do something about it.
> 
> California needs to boost the capacity of the teacher workforce to meet this
> demand. The first step is to ensure that eighth-grade Algebra I teachers have a
> single-subject math credential. Another is to boost teacher training funds that
> are currently targeted primarily at the K-3 level for reading and math. Middle
> schools need more of these funds, too.
> 
> And the state needs to reverse the decline in funding for math subject matter
> training, which was cut in half from 2005-06 to 2007-08 (from $9.4 million to
> $4.3 million). The state also needs to restore Algebra Summer Institutes for
> teachers and to re-examine K-7 math teaching.
> 
> Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said emphatically that turning the goal of
> eighth-grade Algebra I into reality "will require an intense commitment and
> increased investment in the resources for schools and the professional
> development of our teacher corps." Further, he said, "I am committed to
> prioritizing and expanding the resources necessary." He concluded that we 
> "cannot
> be paralyzed by our current budget situation ? we must prepare for the future 
> ...
> set the goal and rise to the challenge, whatever it takes."
> 
> It will take a lot, and not just from the governor. Today's fifth-graders will
> have to take Algebra I in eighth grade. California has three years to boot up.
> Let's get on with it.
> 
> *
> 
> George Sheridan
> -----------------------------------------------
> Report list problems to listmom@interversity.net