Non-math types thinking the math is incedental

The administration is non-math. The district has given us math people (the ones to give us direction on the district level) who are middle school or really science, not math. It isn't that we're snobs, but math is different. One thought I think (mostly to myself) is that it is so much easier to teach social studies or English or science as FUN than it is to teach math FUN.

Now, I love math. I always thought math was fun by itself. But I find the cutesy games that non-math types come up with as, well, trivial.

We are in the midst of rolling out a seven year math curriculum. There are two years to go. (1st year: 6th grade; 2nd year: K, 1st, 2nd, 7th (I think); 3rd year: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th; 4th year: 9th; 5th year: 10th; 6th year: 11th, 7th year: 12th) [I can't remember if K-1-2 came first or 3-4-5 but the rest is correct]

So, spring of 2011 will have the first graduation test for the new curriculum.

The legislature decided to let the classes of 2011 and 2012 (the ones who started the ball rolling the 1st and 2nd years) have an easier 4th year in HS and take Math 3 support and Math 3 and let those count for math 3 and 4.

And I love when non-math types get this confused and think it has anything to do with the graduation test when it really has to do with these kids getting teachers teaching it for the 1st time for 7 years in a row.

Maybe it's me. I just know I get so much better the second time I teach it. Or third.

I am going to my level best with whoever I am dealt. I just feel that the DOE could have planned it so much better.

We teach the students we have not the ones we wish we had.