I thought the year 2001, math instruction could not be worse, and now in 2012, math instruction and the curriculum, it is even worse than what it was in 2001. Still using the same points to justified the premise math must be engaging, by taking pot shots at rote learning, along with practice and lots of practice.

““I have yet to meet a child who enjoys rote learning. Instead, if you can show them a purpose in what they are learning, how the maths they are doing will make science projects or design and technology more exciting, then they will engage enthusiastically.”

I disagreed with the above line similar to the response given to me, to my objections of having grade one children learn and understand the odds, based on the probability theorem. Children I might add that hardly had the basis of addition and subtraction under their belts, but were learning the odds, much like learning the odds at the knees of the local bookie, taking bets. Sure, math might be fun, underneath the eyes of the so-called experts in education but the final outcomes are not so pretty, and frankly quite ugly.

Also, I see that the educators pulled up this chestnut, that I find repugnant and discriminatory, since my child has been a victim of this kind of thinking that certainly slams the future doors of students,

”  A review of mathematics, which focuses, yet again, on testing children’s knowledge of facts is missing the point,” she says. “If mathematics is really going to develop to meet the needs of the 21st century, there must also be some understanding of the underlying concepts, of the joy of playing with numbers, of the importance of feeling confident about numbers.”

Really?  And yet, the number of students finding high school math difficult, is growing by leaps and bounds. Leaving only a small minority of high school students able to take the courses of advance algebra and senior math courses, achieving a B or higher in the courses.

The data stream that if conveniently ignored by the advocates of fun math, the number of students taking private tutoring or in their homes, that uses similar approaches from the Asia countries. “But in China and other Pacific Rim countries, rote learning might better be called deep learning because they don’t tell pupils that it doesn’t matter as long as they remember the right answer. They also work to develop a secure grasp of concepts in maths, the way you get to the answer. That is what our children often lack.”

Canadian students sitting in the advance high school math courses, the majority of students have all experience the joys of rote learning and the consequences of deep understanding of math concepts that landed them in the senior math classes. While, their peers are languishing in other math classes, struggling to learned fractions in the fun way, and what many would described, the osmosis method. Somehow the students will absorbed the knowledge, without actually being taught explicitly.

Four years ago we dropped our daughter off a university. Both we and she were thrilled with the promise of what lay ahead. We were sad to be leaving her but glad that she was swept away into an experience that she truly enjoyed.

She entered the Science/Biology program with a high school average of 90% and a with the all of the prerequisites including Calculus. We, and she, believed that because her high school passed her in that subject with a mark in the high 80s that she was prepared for the two years of University Calculus.

Boy, were we wrong. If not for the tutors and honesty of the University professors who told her that she was NOT even close to having mastered the basics she needed for University Calculus. Yet we believed the high school system. Big mistake.

Through the first two years and thanks to a tutor and extra classes (classes that were full to capacity, telling us that our daughter was NOT alone in having been misled by her high school), she managed to eek out the two Calculus marks she needed to move in to her third year. The mark that we truly believed she deserved and earned was a 69. It was a mark that after her 4 years Honours Biology dragged her overall mark down considerably.

Today our daughter graduates.  In high school she was always an advanced math student…...but we and she especially learned the hard truth AFTER high school graduation.

In those first two years my daughter and her fellow high school graduates started a face book page because as it happened many of the kids she graduated high school with including the valedictorian needed extra help or tutors.  They used the facebook page as a support system that they needed.

These students all had one thing in common. A teacher who did not know calculus well enough to teach the basics to her Grade 12 Academic Math students.

Today our daughter graduates proudly. She learned many lessons over the past 4 years but the hardest of all was that she was NOT as good a student as her high school led her to believe.

Our son went into engineering.  The first year engineers all wrote an algegra test.  The marks ranged from 0—40, with the exception of one engineering student who got 100%.  When asked, he said he was Romanian, and educated in Romania, and that he had done this same math when he was only15, so it was easy.
My son got his degree and we’re very proud of him.  When he was in university though, he used to complain about the amount of hard work.  His dad (who’s a chemist) used to tell our son that he had learned almost nothing in our public schools, and had to make up for all the years of wasted time.
It was a shock for my son after high school to enter a tough programme, however, when my husband entered the sciences after high school, he found it no harder than high school.  Of course he wrote the grade 13 departmentals.  Today’s Ontario graduates wouldn’t be able to pass those rigorous exams.

While I may have told this story before I feel the need to post it again.

At the open house night at one of the IB programs in Toronto as part of the presentation we, the parents, were told that
a) About 60% of the students admitted to the program do not finish the IB program, they give up along the way.
As far as I could tell I don’t think any grade 8 student that has less than high 80s or 90s has a chance to get admitted
b) That IB is hard work but what it guarantees is real knowledge and getting used to working hard.
c) When asked by parents what kind of program do IB graduates go into the answer was: “..mostly engineering and life sciences. Your child can get into these programs without IB. The difference is that almost all our IB graduates finish the university program they start because they are well prepared. Do you know that students admitted to engineering program that have had 90s in high school give up because it is too hard?”

I didn’t quite believe it at the time; I thougth it was part of selling the program.

Based on your stories, Bev and Chuch I am beginning to believe that such experience seem to be the rule rather than the exception.

By the way .. I am Romanian.

My youngest is on his third math teacher.  All poor teachers as acknowleged by their students and many of the colleagues . As a parentr I am at the end of my teather!  But my principal timetables teachers who are hockey, volleyball, soccer, rugby, etc, etc, coaches in prime academic slots .  And in my children’s school for reasos that escape understanding both the math and science department are places to park such educators. This year teachers have been declared redundant given to shrinking enrollment.  The academic teachers have their wallking papers but the coaches are safe…...

Are you convinced Malkin?  There is a edu darwiniasim that selects against academic teachers…...and the principals are driving that train!

Whern you get principals who respect what happens in the classroom ....... well just imagine!

Europe, the high school tests are written by the department heads, and they’re all in the teachers’ union.  Without standardized tests, marks mean practically nothing. 
During the first year in engineering, my son was surprised that sometimes he did better than students who had graduated from high school with a percentages in the 90’s.  I told him exactly the same thing.
How lucky you were to have got your education in Romania!
Mirka, it seems that the farthest thing from the mind of this principal is educating children.  If I were you, I’d complain to the board.  When I used to complain things usually got resolved, but as long as no one’s speaking up, the problem will persist.

” There is a edu darwiniasim that selects against academic teachers…...and the principals are driving that train!”

Not only academic teachers, but as well as acting first and foremost for the best interests of the students.

The best interests of students is definitely not on, and not in my corner of the world. As of today, I am officially wearing the dual hat of lawyer/advocate, and the parent hat has been secreted in my back pocket.

It is the 4th time during almost 12 years of schooling, where the education officials along with the school, has employed individual discrimination and systemic discrimination, against the best interest of my now 16 year old dyslexic child. All in the name of saving a few dollars. All four times, all occurred in the last 2 weeks of the school year, to where I was not given notice, nor communication, of the pending actions, and more importantly, without my signature or my child’s signature. Too late to launch an appeal and has to wait until the new school year, just like the other three times. Her alternative setting has been taken away from her for the public exams. and she is to be treated as a student without a disability. The public exams represents the most important exams for all students. Even though my 16 year old has been identified as having LD since grade 3, and her main problem is in reading, and three assessments and other other reading assessments have confirmed, my 16 year old, will be walking into the gym, stripped of her LD accommodations. Instead, my 16 year old, the public exams will be testing her disability, and not her knowledge.

Two things - an electronic dictionary and alternate setting. Not much is it, considering the school board judging from their actions and lack of actions,  on providing effective remediation to correct my child’s reading issues. The school board certainly saved a lot of money, considering my child is not alone, in having reading issues. To my chagrin, I soon found out, the school did not want to hire one more outside examiner, to essentially babysit one student in the alternative setting.

By the way in order to save a few bucks, the school and more than likely the school board, broke all the rules and regulations, as well as using individual and systemic discrimination to make it happen.

If the school authorities are doing this to the LD academically inclined students, why wouldn’t the school authorities be sending off students without disabilities,  after 12 years of schooling, unprepared and lacking the essentials to do post-secondary work?  I too thought that having more than two teachers for one subject, was just a fluke. This year 5 teachers for the grade 11 physics class, and the 5th physics teacher, was the one that the parents wanted to stay. Guess what, she is leaving - not suitable for the school board. The grade 11 English teacher is also leaving, and in her replacement, an elementary teacher who has never taught high school English, will be teaching the grade 12 academic class. What is next for my local rural high school? Pushing out the science and math teachers nearing retirement, and replacing them who have been trained to do maths, chemistry and biology the fun way, with paper cut-outs and strips of paper.

I am inclined to think there is an edu-darwinism that selects against academic teachers, and none of bodes well for the students’ and their best interests.

Nancy, they like to use the $$ to stuff the board office with consultants, etc.  Did you notice that the TDSB has balanced their budget, after a $58 million dollar shortfall?  Guess where they ‘saved’—laying off vice-principals; closing cafeterias which meant staff was layed off there.  Did one consultant or superintendent get layed off?  Not according to the Globe.  To boot, there was a soiree last night hosted by the TDSB (this may be rumour though )
The bureaucrats are self-serving, and are in our educational systems; hospitals; hydro—for that matter, any publically-funded institution, and we can’t get rid of them.  They’re vacuuming all the funds up and lining their own pockets.

Mirka,

“This year teachers have been declared redundant given to shrinking enrollment.  The academic teachers have their wallking papers but the coaches are safe…”

Now you’ve hit upon an really interesting point of discussion.  First, you need to understand that principals do not determine who will be on their staff - the board does.  The board lists are drawn up by strict seniority - last hired = first fired.  I don’t know the teachers in your school, but I suspect the ones laid off were younger.  That would make sense, we have been discussing the lack of teacher-candidates in STEM subjects.  Second - layoff, redundancy and recall rules are a negotiated item between the board and the unions - check the local contract. 

Why is all this interesting?  Well, some boards have negotiated ‘program protection’ policies.  Which boards have these policies?  Which subject areas do those boards feel are important enough to protect?  Where will other boards/ministry go with this?  These are things I can’t comment publicly upon - but I have a feeling that some here might want to take this up.

Wayne,

I have been in the game for 30 years .  Some as a parent advocate, some as a uinion rep, always as a teacher who delivers excellence. Trust me when I say that in my particular piece of the pie teachers are being selected against because they are academics.  This particular year in my school the three of the 12 teachers declared redundant are being shown the door are pure academics.  Brilliiant teachers who do not coach as they are buisy delivering the type of currcuilum that you want yoru child to be exposed to.  GONE!  ——Wait for it——seniority is moot as they were all hired on the same day.  Our learning community selects against academic teachers…

That is why* this* blog when in hits its high mark of silly makes me a bit enraged….....  the teachers standing in the classrooms across the province have been selected by principals who may or may not value education.  Yet according to Malkin these academic leaders are not accountable??????  I see/know the three people my learning community who do not have a time table next year….....  yo0u wish they would   teach your children.  They are out of the game on a criteria that has nothing to do with good pedagogy…..

I am fully informed on seniority rules and how the principals can and do manipulate the chess board.

School council members give your heads a shake and WAKE UP!

Hi Mirka,

Sorry, don’t know you or your board.  If I made assumptions, I apologize.  Out here in the boonies, we haven’t had three people hired on the same day in about two decades - we keep getting a few here, a few there.  I honestly do see a number of principals fighting hard to keep the staff they have - especially the ‘academics’.  Instead, what we mainly see is a constant shoving around of staff from school to school.  Kind of like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Wayne - I tried to search using the terms ‘program protection’ policies.- I didn’t get anywhere, but today I will add another word - unions.

If principals in Ontario do not determined who will be on staff, and what little control principals have is based on the school board’s seniority list - what would be the average age of staff in the schools?

Not as simple, since the average age reflects the other variables that impacts the average age of a school staff. It may appeared that teachers are selected by the school board’s seniority list, but beneath the surface, it becomes clear there is other variables at work of a concerted effort as Mirka has described, of reducing the number of teachers that are the pure academics.

As Mirka states - “Brilliiant teachers who do not coach as they are buisy delivering the type of currcuilum that you want yoru child to be exposed to.  GONE!  ——Wait for it——seniority is moot as they were all hired on the same day.  Our learning community selects against academic teachers…”

I agreed with Mirka, and parents should wake up. It was only the pure academic teachers that has given my child a leg-up on improving her learning weaknesses that hinders academic achievement, and provide the delivering of a curriculum with high expectations. As a parent, I actually expect teachers to have high standards for their students, but I also expect teachers to provide and teach the necessary knowledge, so students are prepared and are enabled to applied their previous knowledge learned, to the new school year.If it means rote learning and practice in elementary mathematics, bring it on - the more the better.

In the article - Maths and Michael Grove - one of the comments, the fourth from the top -

” I have worked as an engineer and taught engineering at university for many years but I have never understood why (for example)  7 times 8 equals 56.

I have had to find the answer innumerable times in my career and have always relied on memory.  If I forgot my multiplication table I’d have to rely on a calculator or spend hours on the simplest problems.”

Rather simple to understand why 7 X 8 always equals 56. Multiplication is the method to add groups of numbers or a faster way in addition.

But in today’s math - the fun way - I would be mark wrong, as I would be marked wrong for answering this question - How big is the number 100?  Oh, about 100 or as my 16 year old would state - 100 and she would be graded with a zero in today’s elementary math classes. Dumb questions that students are expected to write a philosophical answer, rather than the simple logical answers based on pure mathematical thinking.

As Malkin has stated: “. After all, they’ve had at least 50 years to try out their theories, and the results are conclusive: their theories don’t work. And there’s no mystery why their theories don’t work either. Novices need rote learning to get up and running, and it’s only after kids exerience success that they find joy in the subject. If novices are denied the rote learning they need to become proficient in math, they are bound to find the subject frustrating and difficult. “

Could it be that the academic teachers are being driven out, because their teaching practices includes lots of rote learning, basic foundation knowledge so students experience success and than the joy and motivation to learn more?

Academic terachers have been driven out and marginalized since I entered the game in 1985…..

That is why I bristle when I read some of Malkin’s posts. 30 years of selection against academics and then we point fingers at unions and colleges…..  how silly.  Selection reflects the criteria of school boards and principals…...for 3 decades…...it.has been dumb and dumber.——ents need to focus on the real culprit…..
The local lords.  Pay attention…...............

Àbout a decade ago my friends and I , all moms got a bit annoyed as our chidren`s school was a training ground for prinicpals and they were in and out in one year.  The school was a mess as we had a new ``leader``..... each academic year…

  There was no consistent leadership…..........  We demmanded the school board data on principal placement for the last 5 years…...we crunched the data in my kitchen ——6 laptops working hard…... we wrote the report and made recommendations based on edu research from Michael Fullen and company on the importance and power of principals.  Sent the report to all the superintendents, director, and trustees….... the principal that was in the leadership position
at that time is still there 12 years later—power of parent advocates rocks.

What is my point?  If your only contribution to working to improve education in Ontario is a periodic rant on this blog—-you are part of the problem——we need people working for a solution….

let’s get on with it people….............

kids vote with their feet—>  all my classes next semester are at maximum.

Support the academics—-the few that make it throught the selection process…  Pay attention!

“Academic teachers have been driven out and marginalized since I entered the game in 1985…..”

Mirka - Just the academic teachers?  Even if parents wanted to, the forces within the education system, the stakeholders have thoroughly politicized the education of students. Unions? Below - a 2012 OTF report

“Teaching Profession Act
Regulation Made Under the Teaching Profession Act
Policy Resolutions”
http://www.otffeo.on.ca/english/docs/WTT_TPA_policiesbylawsetc.pdf

It becomes clear that teachers’ unions, are involved with every aspect of education at the school level, the board level and at the ministry level. Teachers’ unions are just one part of the structure of the education system, and the unions hold a big stick, but of equal size to the school boards. What is the size of the sticks that parents and students hold?  The answer to the question, depends on location of the communities and the students. Rather the question should be, what is the percentage of disenfranchised students and parents, devoid of power,  compared to the number of academic teachers?

Going back to the OTF report, on special education
“That it be the responsibility of the provincial
government to co-ordinate service for
exceptional students among the ministries of
education, health and social services.
3.    That school board special education service
plans make provision for additional resources
which may include: personnel, teacher inservice, materials, equipment, location and
appropriately adjusted working conditions and
work load.”

So, can parents look forward in the near future advocating for their children, at the provincial level?

Academic teachers, I sure wish there was a lot more at the ground level, because I believe they work at the best interests of all students, and their futures. But they work at their own peril of upsetting the sensibilities of the stakeholders within, and risking their jobs. The latest example, with lots of publicity, the Alberta high school teacher, who give out zeroes, but with second chances.

On CTV, a news item of a high school principal retiring - a drop-out, has ADHD and beloved by her students.

Scroll down to videos - entitled ‘Role Model: Principal inspires students, even though she never graduated.
. http://www.ctv.ca/

Academic teachers are not the only ones at risk of being driven out and marginalized. Parents and students are also being driven out and marginalized, especially the parents who do not accept the status-quo. If I did accept the status-quo, my 16 year old would now be looking forward to a certificate, and not a high school diploma. Along the way, it was the academic teachers that encouraged me to continue to advocate for my child, against the forces of the stakeholders within the education structure, who were bound and determined not to provide the education services in the 3 Rs, beyond the classroom.

Mirka, this blog is essential for informing the public, and anyone who wants to write on it is actively involved in either school change, or defending the status quo.  All have a right to be here.  In other words, there many ways to be involved.  Like many sites on the net, this blog destroys myths that governments and industry want one to believe and hold dear.  Just last night I was reading in the newspaper that quite a number of countries have requested google to scrap different sites because of the information the public would read, and most often google refused.  When they complied with a particular government’s wishes, it made good sense.  Hmmm, which paper was I reading?  I’m terrible at citing.

I think that the comment about “only venting but not doing anything” is partially true, but doesn’t really relate to this blog.

As outlined, we need this blog to vent, inform, and suggest solutions.

Why not look into Charter Schools? They would be separated from the school boards, run independently, parents would have more to say, and yet, they would be fully funded by the governement.

Impossible you say? Well yes, if we just think about it. Why couldn’t we for instance call up our MPP’s and those who may run against them in the next election and insist that Charter Schools become a sound reality for those provinces that don’t have them.

The problem is that many of us are too willing to simply pass along our requests and desires, but not to educate ourselves first about anything. We just “leave it to the experts” but don’t know if the expert knows what he or she is doing. We want: to put in an electrical outlet, to have our windows washed, to build our bridges, to diagnose our symptoms, to fix our cars, and yes, to educate our children without knowing much about the subject matter ourselves. We don’t investigate, we don’t follow up and we are not well rounded ourselves. Could it be because our education failed us?

Why is it that those who immigrated from Europe, have a better sense of what is wrong with their cars, when they hear funny sounds, whereas those of us who finished driving school here in Canada, don’t even know enough that the left lane is for passing and not for driving at speed limit? Well that would be because in Europe, most countries require that students first learn about how cars work, how they operate, and then, only then, after passing exams are they able to learn how to drive. So when something goes “clunk”, they have a sense as to whether the mechanic has not swindled them into paying for unneeded repairs.

Here, in Canada, we have a tendency to moan and complain, but to educate ourselves further is not on the agenda.

Blogs and websites such as this one and the many others it offers as good resources should enlighten us. It is here that I learned about Charter Schools. It is this website that led me to watch videos offering solutions - like Charter Schools. And it is now up to me to start “requesting” from my MP and MPP that I refuse to accept the status quo and demand changes such as not having a monopoly intent on filling its own coffers, while “educating” my children with methods that will not empower them in the future.

It is up to me and to you to make the change happen. Look into Charter Schools. See what they’re about. Understand them. And if you agree that they are a potential solution, better than what our union driven current “educators” are doing, then use the system we have, contact your “leaders” and demand change by offering a solution. If enough of us do it - our taxes should cover education and not demand of us to keeping dishing out more for tutoring centres - and offer similar solutions, then hopefully, in a desire to be elected, our “leaders” should listen. We want change, but do we understand what type of change we want? Read the blog. Read another one.  Read the WHOLE blog. Educate yourselves enough to offer a solution. Charter schools are not my solution. They are to me a feasible solution that would offer a better alternative for the education of our civilization, and I’ll act by contacting my MPP and keep pushing for it, in hopes that more will join the cause.