According to the principal at Horseshoe Trails...
- HTES is going to teach Mandarin this fall
- LMES is going to teach Mandarin this fall
- STMS will be teaching Mandarin
- CSHS will be teaching Mandarin
- HTES will offer the IB Primary Years Programme in 2013
- STMS 'would probably seek to become an IB Middle Years school'
This is like a sick joke. So now we have STEM, K-8 Academy, Friends of Core Knowledge, the Horesy thing, Mandarin, Spanish Immersion, CSHS e-Learning, AP, HS IB, dual enrollment, multi-age, etc. There is nothing wrong with each of these objectives individually, but really, could we have some focus and some vertical integration?
And like the closing of DAMS, where is the cost benefit analysis of these programs? Are we just going to burn money on these things until the grants run out (remember the Desert Arroyo Accelerated program) without any thought to their value to our students and taxpayers?
Why isn't the administration studying what works best, at what costs, and then working to implement it from top to bottom, but more importantly why aren't we focusing on teaching reading and math at 100% proficiency and exceeding the state and international standards, then we can start worrying Mandarin and Horses.
And maybe Ms. Marlow should worry about the 22% of 5th graders in her school who did not pass the 2010 AIMS Math test.
AIMS 2010 MATH
School Name Horseshoe Trails Elementary
School Name Horseshoe Trails Elementary
School Grade/Cohort 5
Math # Tested 88
Math Mean Scale Score 413
Math % Falls Far Below 5
Math % Approaches 17
Math % Meets 49
Math % Exceeds 30
Math % Passing 78
What is vertical integration? Do you mean vertical alignment? It would seem to me that offering Spanish/Chinese from Elementary to Middle to High school is vertical alignment as is adding an IB element at all three levels.
ReplyDeleteAdvanced placement is also vertically aligned. Kids who test high in reading, writing and math are now placed into "AP" type classes starting at the ES level and continuing through HS.
CSHS e-learning is simply the district taking advantage of the growing trend of computer delivered education. Why lose that funding to for profit education companies? That's a no brainer.
There is no question that math instruction needs focus. Just because it isn't highlighted in a newspaper article, doesn't mean it isn't being addressed. Actually, it has more to do with the quality of instruction, than the curriculum and of course, until recently, nothing could be said about quality of teaching because it might offend teachers.
CCUSD has a tragic apprach to education. They believe that they should try to be everything to everyone so that the dreaded charter schools and other districts do not take away their students. The entire concept is to play a defensive gameplan. Never play to win, simply play "not to lose" by trying to copy everyone around you. Figure out what you want to be and be the best it. Focus for heaven's sake.
ReplyDeleteCCUSD should dissolve itself as a district and become free-standing schools, each with a parent board. Why pay for incompetent and expensive administration?
ReplyDeleteIf 22 percent of kids couldn't pass a sub-standard AIMs test, what are they learning? Not math!
ReplyDeleteThe AIMs test is designed to disguise how poorly AZ kids are doing when compared to other states, or countries. So if they can't pass a simple AIMs test, they are getting a dreadful education.
The stupid curriculum, Everyday Math, has much to do with our failing kids. Parents have to demand real math, not fake math, or pull their kids out of public school. Most of the charter schools use better curriculum and have better results.
Pull your kids out before its too late or demand change.