Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for June 24, 2006 TEACH MASTERY OR CONTENT?

Things that make you go hmmm...

Let's see...should I make sure the kids "get it" or should I focus on covering the mandated material/standards? Unless you want headlines like the one below about YOU, you better emphasize covering the material! You see who gets the blame...as usual.

From the Des Moines Register...

They're in summer school after a teacher didn't cover material they'll need for the next level.

By LISA ROSSI
REGISTER AMES BUREAU

Fort Dodge eighth-graders who took algebra this year have been asked to come back for a voluntary summer review session starting Monday in that subject after a teacher failed to cover required concepts.

The school district sent letters to the homes of 102 eighth-grade algebra students, inviting them to sessions that will last about a month. In the letter, the district acknowledged that some students were in a class that missed four chapters that "were essential for the next level of algebra."

Usually, districts offer summer school sessions to individual students who struggled with a subject, rather than to an entire class, state education officials said.

"I've never heard anybody saying that ... across the board the teacher didn't cover the knowledge, so we'll make it up in summer school," said Jeff Berger, a legislative liaison with the Iowa Department of Education.

The district confirmed that Christine Donnelly, who has 19 years in the profession, taught the class that missed the chapters. A woman who answered at the phone at Donnelly's listed number said Donnelly wasn't at home.

Stacy Mernka, a parent in Fort Dodge, described the situation as "ridiculous.'' Mernka said her daughter received a B in algebra, "and we had no idea she didn't finish the book."

Donna Bryan, another Fort Dodge parent, said: "The thing I respect the most is the district's honesty in this situation. I know this was probably hard for them to bring this out."

Donnelly, who was paid $42,566 for the 2005-06 school year, taught algebra for the first time at Phillips Middle School this year after several years teaching science. Principal Gary Reiners said the move was made because Donnelly has more school credits in math than in science, and federal No Child Left Behind legislation wants districts to place teachers in their certified areas.

In Fort Dodge, Donnelly's algebra class did not cover quadratic equations and graphing of equations, two concepts that are required by district standards and benchmarks, said Sue Wood, the district's director of curriculum and assessment.

Iowa law requires schools to develop what they call standards and benchmarks that define the skills students should master before proceeding to the next grade level.

Students have to qualify to take eighth-grade algebra through testing, grades and teacher recommendations.

Donnelly spent more time making sure students understood, rather than moving ahead fast, students said. She "would ask us if we were in the foggy skies and if we were in sunny skies," said Angela Bryan, 14. "As long as 80 percent of the class raised hands in sunny skies, she would move onto the next chapter."

Reiners said Donnelly told him about her concerns about the class the last week of school. "I will probably be checking with a lot more teachers next year to see where they are at," he said. test