As a parent of five kids, I think the problem is in many districts, the schools do not want to collaborate with the parents. In fact, it seems like whenever possible, the schools do things to make it harder for parents to collaborate, especially on actual education:
* Objectives are rarely published so parents can understand what is being taught.
* Common core math makes it impossible for parents who did not learn common core style calculation to help their children with math.
* Textbooks are not allowed to leave the classroom.
Tragedy of the commons - enough parents don't see their kids as anything but perfect to dissuade teachers from wanting to talk to the parents about issues their little darlings have.
That said,
Common core math makes it impossible for parents who did not learn common core style calculation
Is false. I didn't learn common core as a child, but I was able to pick it up as an adult. There's a lot of good resources online.
Tip: It's how most of 'us' do mental math, spelled out and codified. Rough estimates refined in further steps.
Tip: It's how most of 'us' do mental math, spelled out and codified. Rough estimates refined in further steps.
I'm a nuclear engineer by education and stuggled with doing computations using common core methods. I can only imagine how most people who didn't pick a profession that involved advanced math fare when faced with doing long division common core style.
Why should pupils be barred from learning math and science just because the parents did not enjoy sufficient education? It's one of the core tasks of the school system to ensure that pupils do not suffer disadvantages from their parent's educational background.
Why should pupils be barred from learning math and science just because the parents did not enjoy sufficient education?
In the US we changed how math is taught about 10 years ago. 1 + 1 is still equal to two, but the children are taught an entire new methodology for calculation. I'm a nuclear engineer and had to re-learn how to do basic maths just to be able to help my children when they struggle with basic arithmetic.
To be honest, the new system (called common core) is incredibly complex and emphasizes proof of work over accuracy and understanding. It is supposed to lead to a better understanding of math. In reality, it's just really complex and difficult to learn.
Mathematics education in the United States has been in constant flux since the post-war era. The objections some parents have against “Common Core math” (which, incidentally, is not mandated by the Common Core; that is merely a set of uniform content standards) are the same objections parents had against New Math in the seventies.
My personal opinion is that the US has a bad case of Not Invented Here when it comes to pedagogy (half structural racism, half vestigial anti-communism, half class warfare, and half other things) which is then amplified by inconsistent funding and limited federal oversight.
Even if you burnt every grade school math textbook written after 1950, the problem would still persist.
Comments
As a parent of five kids, I think the problem is in many districts, the schools do not want to collaborate with the parents. In fact, it seems like whenever possible, the schools do things to make it harder for parents to collaborate, especially on actual education:
* Objectives are rarely published so parents can understand what is being taught.
* Common core math makes it impossible for parents who did not learn common core style calculation to help their children with math.
* Textbooks are not allowed to leave the classroom.
Tragedy of the commons - enough parents don't see their kids as anything but perfect to dissuade teachers from wanting to talk to the parents about issues their little darlings have.
That said,
Is false. I didn't learn common core as a child, but I was able to pick it up as an adult. There's a lot of good resources online.
Tip: It's how most of 'us' do mental math, spelled out and codified. Rough estimates refined in further steps.
I'm a nuclear engineer by education and stuggled with doing computations using common core methods. I can only imagine how most people who didn't pick a profession that involved advanced math fare when faced with doing long division common core style.
Why should pupils be barred from learning math and science just because the parents did not enjoy sufficient education? It's one of the core tasks of the school system to ensure that pupils do not suffer disadvantages from their parent's educational background.
In the US we changed how math is taught about 10 years ago. 1 + 1 is still equal to two, but the children are taught an entire new methodology for calculation. I'm a nuclear engineer and had to re-learn how to do basic maths just to be able to help my children when they struggle with basic arithmetic.
To be honest, the new system (called common core) is incredibly complex and emphasizes proof of work over accuracy and understanding. It is supposed to lead to a better understanding of math. In reality, it's just really complex and difficult to learn.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics_education_in_the...
Mathematics education in the United States has been in constant flux since the post-war era. The objections some parents have against “Common Core math” (which, incidentally, is not mandated by the Common Core; that is merely a set of uniform content standards) are the same objections parents had against New Math in the seventies.
My personal opinion is that the US has a bad case of Not Invented Here when it comes to pedagogy (half structural racism, half vestigial anti-communism, half class warfare, and half other things) which is then amplified by inconsistent funding and limited federal oversight.
Even if you burnt every grade school math textbook written after 1950, the problem would still persist.