5J math changes adding up
Published 12:32 pm Friday, March 4, 2016
Baker School District officials heard a lot about the district’s math curriculum last fall.
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It’s obvious they listened.
The district has taken significant steps, starting in November, to address the concerns that many parents expressed about the Engage New York curriculum during an October school board meeting.
Teachers at the middle school and high school haven’t been using that system since late last fall.
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At the elementary schools teachers are testing three curricula, including Engage New York.
This month the district is inviting parents to visit their children’s elementary classrooms to see how the different systems are used.
The district will make the same invitation later this year for middle school and high school classes, where teachers will also be experimenting with different math-teaching techniques.
Inviting parents to classrooms is always welcome, of course, but in the case of the math curriculum it’s a wise decision for two reasons.
First, it gives parents a chance to watch students work with the different curricula. This is far better than having parents see their children struggle with math homework, which was a common complaint among the parents who talked with the school board last fall.
Second, parents’ comments about what they see in the classrooms will add to the information 5J teachers and administrators can consider as they compare the three options.
Ultimately district officials will have to choose which of those they believe will best serve Baker students.
As we wrote in this space in November, that’s a daunting challenge, because no single curriculum is best for every student.
But the decision is a vital one.
Math, probably more than ever, is a skill students need to be proficient in as they progress in their education and, eventually, their career.
It’s clear that Baker 5J officials not only recognize this, but that they understood parents can play an important role in choosing the best option for the district’s math curriculum.