Comments on: UFT Hails New Middle School Initiative http://www.edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Teacher News of the Day | Edwize http://www.edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative/comment-page-1#comment-62348 Teacher News of the Day | Edwize Thu, 16 Aug 2007 18:28:51 +0000 http://edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative#comment-62348 [...] a new director to oversee the reforms, officials said yesterday.” New York Post More at Edwize, the New York Times, the New York Daily News, and the Staten Island [...] [...] a new director to oversee the reforms, officials said yesterday.” New York Post More at Edwize, the New York Times, the New York Daily News, and the Staten Island [...]

]]> By: jd2718 http://www.edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative/comment-page-1#comment-62337 jd2718 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:39:58 +0000 http://edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative#comment-62337 There is an equity issue: poorer, Blacker, and more Hispanic schools have fewer of these courses; Whiter, more Asian, and more middle class schools have more. I'm in favor of increasing equity, but in terms of creating engaging age-appropriate middle school opportunities for more kids, rather than making high school level work more available for young kids. This drives my mathematics teaching as well: better slower and with depth, than rapid for "coverage." Jonathan There is an equity issue: poorer, Blacker, and more Hispanic schools have fewer of these courses; Whiter, more Asian, and more middle class schools have more.

I’m in favor of increasing equity, but in terms of creating engaging age-appropriate middle school opportunities for more kids, rather than making high school level work more available for young kids.

This drives my mathematics teaching as well: better slower and with depth, than rapid for “coverage.”

Jonathan

]]> By: Steve Perez http://www.edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative/comment-page-1#comment-62335 Steve Perez Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:12:23 +0000 http://edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative#comment-62335 <p>I want to post more on the middle schools initiative soon. But what do people think of Jonathan's opposition to expanding Regents level classes?</p> I want to post more on the middle schools initiative soon. But what do people think of Jonathan’s opposition to expanding Regents level classes?

]]> By: jd2718 http://www.edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative/comment-page-1#comment-62331 jd2718 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:44:07 +0000 http://edwize.org/uft-hails-new-middle-school-initiative#comment-62331 Randi has to be political. I don't. The money is a drop in the bucket. And the task force recommendations are so broad, that partial implementation of a small subset could have unintended consequences. Further, given the small amount of money (average of $100k per school), who will be making the real decision about which recommendation(s) to try to fund. And finally (for now), regents classes in all middle schools? This is a point that needs much further discussion. Are our middle school curricula so weak, so flawed, that we should ditch them early and just start kids on high school level work? Because that's what the report really says when it recommends regents classes in every middle school. Far better to fix curricula, and to leave high school courses to high school. Jonathan Randi has to be political. I don’t. The money is a drop in the bucket. And the task force recommendations are so broad, that partial implementation of a small subset could have unintended consequences.

Further, given the small amount of money (average of $100k per school), who will be making the real decision about which recommendation(s) to try to fund.

And finally (for now), regents classes in all middle schools? This is a point that needs much further discussion. Are our middle school curricula so weak, so flawed, that we should ditch them early and just start kids on high school level work? Because that’s what the report really says when it recommends regents classes in every middle school.

Far better to fix curricula, and to leave high school courses to high school.

Jonathan

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