Letter to the boss

This is the letter I have written to my boss about the proposed change in our curriculum from Reading and Language Arts classes to a combined class due to problems with student scores on the state mandated Math test.

Dear Sir:

You have always been willing to listen to me whenever I have had concerns or questions. I greatly appreciate working with you for that reason. I have two ideas that may help improve our students’ ability to perfom on the State test without combining English and Reading. I hope that in the renewed spirit of camaraderie and support for one another after our hurricane experiences that these ideas could and would be seriously considered.

I've tried to think of what could be done with a minimum of change for all parties concerned, and tried to think of what the specifics of the problem are and how to simply and effectively address those problems.

My first idea would be to shave 2-3 minutes from each class and put that at the beginning of the day as a home room, and this would be the time we do announcements, pledge etc, and the all classes do 10 minutes of remedial math. I cite this as an idea that has worked at Local Private School. Granted they do Kumon, but we could something that meets our specific needs. In some ways it would be similar to a D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read program;) a program that has done wonders for reading across the country.

My second idea is for all teachers to do a math bell ringer activity. A simple reviewing of the basics as a bell ringer activity. I've been told that a while back all teachers were doing more writing so that writing scores could improve, it is apparent that idea worked. I know that if we all work together we can make major differences with minimum adjustments.

Why do I feel these ideas will work? Because I am convinced that a basic cause of the low scores is a student weakness in the basic fundamentals of mathematics. Students must have a strong foundation in the basics of any learning field in order to build upon them and progress to the higher level skills. We also know from research, that in small doses we frequently get a greater return and lower student “tune out”.

As I have started working with my 6th grade students to help them with math, I have noticed that it is the basic facts they do not know. They do not know what you and I would call common sense information, like the number of square inches in a square foot, the number of minutes in an hour, a basic decimal to fraction equivalence, such as .25 =1/4. I have noticed for all of the years that I have taught here that many students have trouble doing basic mathematics, and cannot figure out what their grade is even in simple ratio form such as 18/20. Because of these observations, I feel strongly that adding more minutes of the current curriculum will not solve this dilemma. I believe that improving upon the basic skills will go a long way toward improving the math scores at our school.

Let me review what I have observed and felt for the last four years as the math department has experienced frustrations about the test scores:
Year 1- We were on block schedule, and double blocked students for math, apparently that did not work and so we made a change.
Year 2- We had smaller math classes, and made yet another change to
Years 3 & 4- acceleration classes; and are those not working?

It is apparent to me that simply adding time to extend math a few more minutes is not going to fix this problem. We have students that currently take two math classes because of acceleration, so I fail to see how an additional eight minutes per class (or whatever the actual breakdown is) will change this situation. The issue is more complicated than simply adding extra time for math.

Now my emotional part. I feel great frustration at the thought of combining English and Reading into one class period. I do not want to see the successful Reading and Writing program that we have built here lose anything. When the seesaw tips the other way and we are dropping in Reading and Writing, will we make the time adjustments back? I very much doubt it.

It feels to me as if it does not matter that the department that has the most to lose has much say in this.I do not feel that any one subject should control the curriculum of the school. I am willing to help out teachers who are struggling to prepare students to take a test that in my opinion is not age appropriate nor testing on what matters in the real world. As we as an educational community look for solutions we should not forget the training teachers on campus have received from those who have researched this problem. Let us look to their knowledge and training for better answers.

I have been doing some Internet research on this problem and found that sometimes schools focus so strongly on test scores that many options are taken away from students such as fine arts and physical education programs. By taking away these programs from targeted students, those programs, as well as the students, lose. Often these programs are the most successful portion of these students’ school day. Currently, a district in Maryland has their remedial students taking three Reading courses, two Math courses, Science and Social Studies. For their remedial students there will be no P.E., no art, no choir, no band.

The current discussion regarding the combining of Reading and English makes me feel as though Reading and Language Arts are not considered to be as important as Math, simply because we have this discussion every year! I know your heart is with Math because of your background, as mine is with Reading and that you want what is best for all concerned. As you can see I have very strong feelings about this, only because I want what is best for the kids, as do you. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and I hope you will consider these options I have proposed.