Fighting for My Children

I have talked to several of you this year who are very upset about the math standards that the state is expecting of our kids.  Below is my correspondence with State Board of Education  (SBOE) representative, David Bradley and an administrator who served on the TEKS review committee.  Please take the time to read it.  And please join me in voicing your concern to your state representatives. (I will list contact information for pertinent state representatives in the comments section of this post).  It's a fight worth fighting for!

From: Alison [mailto:aliphil413@hotmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2014 11:22 PM

TEKS Review Committee,

I am contacting you because I am very concerned about the new math TEKS being implemented in our state this school year.  Tonight in my research, I discovered that you served as a reviewer in the creation of the TEKS.  Earlier this week, I sent the following e-mail to David Bradley, my SBOE representative.  Every teacher I have spoken with thinks these TEKS are developmentally inappropriate.  I was wondering what information you had available to you that made you think otherwise?  Thank you.

Mr. Bradley,

I am the mother of a third grader at Langham Elementary in Nederland, Texas.  I am writing you because I am very concerned about the new math TEKS being implemented in our state this school year.  My daughter loves to learn, she is a bright honor-roll student, and she enjoys school.  Is the state trying to change that?  Given the new mathematic TEKS, I feel certain that will be their result.

I reviewed the October 2011 revisions to the curriculum, and I believe we are expecting too much of our children.  I understand increasing rigor and encouraging college readiness, but as the mother of two small children I also know what breaking a child's spirit is.  That, Mr. Bradley, is what I am sure these TEKS will do.

I know that the SBOE had experts review the Final Recommendation for the TEKS.  I reviewed the experts.  Here is what I found; collectively I found NO experience in the elementary classroom.  Take for example the electronic resume of the distinguished Dr. Richard A Askey.

Positions:
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Professor Emeritus 2003-present
University of Wisconsin-Madison, John Bascom Professor of Mathematics 1995-2003
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Gabor Szegö Professor of Mathematics, 1986-1995
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Professor of Mathematics, 1968-1986
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Associate Professor of Mathematics, 1965-1968
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, 1963-1965
University of Chicago, Instructor, 1961-1963
Washington University, Instructor, 1958-1961

Is this what the SBOE considers an expert in understanding what my third grader can accomplish in math?  Where was the input from the elementary teachers?  You know, the ones who have dedicated their lives at the expense of a higher paying job to invest sweat and tears into our children?  The ones who spend hours finding ways to talk to their students because they know their names, their learning styles, and their potential?  

Last month when asked about new math standards the Dallas News cited Oswaldo Alvarenga, Dallas Exeuctive Director for STEM Instruction as saying, "“The students will be exposed to what they need to know. Will the timelines be met? Yes.  How deep an understanding will students have? That is a great question."

This image created by curriculum experts from Richardson ISD shows the drastic changes in math curriculum this year that the state expects our students to know.  No wonder educators across the state have questions.

Its the third week of the six weeks grading period, Mr. Bradley, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news.  But I think I know the answer to Mr. Alvarenga's question.  The answer is students will understand that math is hard, maybe too hard for them.  Some will develop a fear and decide not trying is better than trying and failing.  Some will be punished at home for grades that really did reflect their best because their parents don't understand how difficult these new expectations really are.  Some will be pulled out of extra-curricular activities that would have helped them develop physically, creatively and socially.  

This is Mackenzie Howell, my daughter.  

  

This year her wonderful teacher and I will fight to keep her from being one of those children whose spirits are broken because politicians cared more about their pocketbook than their children.  Please encourage the SBOE to listen to teachers and stop letting money do the talking.  The price is too high.

Respectfully,

Alison Howell

On Oct 24, 2014, at 8:48 AM, a TEKS review member replied thanking me for reaching out, acknowledging the difficulty of gap in knowledge students are facing and explaining that the standards were based on research in math education and standards in other states.

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David Bradley e-mailed the Review Committee member and copied me.  He thanked the Review Committee member for responding to me and said he agreed with the committee member's statements.

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I responded to the Committee Member and Mr. Bradley with the following, which includes a quote from the Committee Member's previous e-mail to me...

Thank you for your time and response.  One additional question, that I would very much appreciate your input on.

As you acknowledged "Most of the issues we are experiencing now are happening because students have gaps in their knowledge. Meaning, a student like your daughter wasn’t taught the prerequisite skills she needs now when she was a second grader. So, as a third grader, she “skipped” some content." 

As I become more enlightened as to the issues, I think your above comment perhaps even more accurately describes the problem.  Did anyone consider what that will do to our children?  As I am sure you are aware, our children's education revolves around and leads up to the STAAR, which tests them on these new TEKS.  Their curriculum, which includes Motivation Math, Measuring Up, Lone Star worksheets, Think Through Math, and Pearson textbooks are all designed to prepare them.  Since you are aware of the gap in knowledge, I bet you don't have to wonder how my daughter is doing in math right now.  She has a 95 or above in every subject, except math.  That she is failing.  Would you like to know what she did this morning before school?  She threw up because she has a math test today.  It's a test we spent hours preparing for.  I am also paying a private tutor.  While fitting a tutor in the budget is difficult, what is even worse is seeing her broken.  Her teacher's heart is breaking for her students too, many many of which are having trouble.  But she has been told what to teach so there is nothing she can do about it.

And unfortunately the stress doesn't end with the grade book.  Since the school administrators know student scores will be a reflection on them, they create an environment at school that keeps success on STAAR at the forefront of everyone's mind.  STAAR pep rallies, allSTAAR awards, and I could go on.  But this year, my daughter has been set up for failure.  She hasn't received the foundation she needs to succeed.

Sure, it may "even out" sometime as you say.  Or maybe your research will be proven wrong, and the psychologists that say children cannot think abstractly until at least age 12 will be proven right.  Even worse, I worry my daughter and other students in her grade level will never even out.  We all know math knowledge has to be built upon.  In her paper Success at Math Dr. Jean Marie Linhart says it simply but accurately, "You can't skip one part and still be able to do the rest. Later material depends on earlier material."

Either way, since there was no transition to the new TEKS, this year my daughter and thousands of children like her will struggle.  Yes we can overlook poor grades or low STAAR results and say it will even out, but beyond those numbers are children.  Children like mine who want to please, who want to succeed.

So I told you I had one question.  Here it is, "Did anyone consider what this gap would do to children like mine who are being tested in the classroom and on the STAAR test using standards that you all know you haven't prepared them for?"

I look forward to your input.

The committee member responded with specific ways I could encourage my child and help her.  Her teacher and principal have already provided me with that.  I am looking for systematic change.  As a result, I -emailed the following to David Bradley...

On Oct 24, 2014, at 10:20 AM, Alison <aliphil413@hotmail.com> wrote:

Thank you so much for your time Mr. Yoes.  I know you are busy, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond to me.

Mr. Bradley, I respect Mr. Yoes and his position as an educator.  However, as my SBOE representative systematic changes are up to you.  What is your plan to address my concerns and what I believe will be the expressed concern of many others as I make efforts to educate them on what our children are facing this year?  I would welcome e-mail correspondence or the opportunity to meet with you in person.

Mr. Bradley responded to me to tell me that I have been effective, but he doesn't know when the TEKS will be considered again.  He thanked me for sharing my concerns, and I believe he hoped I would let the matter rest.

From: aliphil413@hotmail.com

To: david.bradley2@me.com

Subject: RE: Math TEKS

Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 11:06:51 -0500

I think you are mistaken.  It's never too late to take a stand, and I care too much about my children to give up that easily

In this letter dated May 1, 2014, Commissioner Williams states, "Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff are currently working on a plan for assessing grades 3–8 mathematics in spring 2015."

Please advise me about this process.  Who will be involved and how can I ensure the voices of parents like me are heard?