Roanoke’s math problem and what else you should know
A major plan to bolster math education in Roanoke schools was discussed and subsequently passed by the school board Thursday. Schools officials hope this will solve one of the system’s most severe and urgent problems: recruiting and retaining experienced, high-performing math teachers.
The problem with math isn’t unique to city schools or the state. Math teachers are in high demand and the bolstering math skills of students is critical as American children struggle to keep up with their global counterparts.
Roanoke Times I File photo
Real talk? Math class looks different than it did a decade or two ago. Algebra foundations are taught earlier on and there’s a greater emphasis on critical thinking. (Shameless self promotion alert: read this story I wrote about math education, circa 2008, before the new math Standards of Learning came to fruition. It gives a picture of changing math education.)
Serious math skills are required for 21st century jobs and that’s something that hasn’t been lost on Virginia education officials.
The state made math standards tougher in 2009 and almost a year ago new, more rigorous math tests were given across the state. Pass rates for students statewide and locally fell.
The math problem facing schools is a critical one and Roanoke officials took a stab solving it Thursday. Will it work? Are you a parent, teacher, student? What do you think?
February 1, 2013 - 3:01 AM
As a parent, I was concerned to see the math scores in Giles county decline. Since the standards were changed in 2009, why were the state schools unprepared for the more rigorous test? My superintendent informed me this also happened previously with English scores.
Also, where are the local math teachers coming from and where are they going?
What defines a “high-performing” math teacher?
About 28 percent of the Roanoke math teachers that leave are going to surrounding school systems. As for what defines high-performing, according to proposal the school board passed it’s educators who have proven record of meeting state and federal standards when it comes to student achievement on assessments. Teachers would be responsible for providing documentation to school officials to show that.
Thanks for the comment!
When did VA decide that ALL students must take Algebra I and II and Geometry? What happened to business math?
In my son’s honors biology class (10th grade) last year students could not handle a lab exercise because they did not understand ratios and percentages! In another class students couldn’t work out a long division problem. They begged for calculators. All this push on Algebra (Algebra for 2nd graders!) is keeping our kids from learning basic computation skills. Fortunately I home schooled my son from 4th-8th grades. He could handle the science lab and long division. The article from Salt Lake City to which you linked is exactly what’s WRONG with math instruction!