Posted on 01/01/2007 4:17:06 AM PST by joeystoy
Teachers’ Union Chief Falters in a Pop Quiz on Fractions Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share DiggFacebookNewsvinePermalink
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN Published: December 28, 2006 In contract negotiations, Randi Weingarten, the president of the New York City teachers’ union, typically does math in percentages, not fractions — as in 7.1 percent pay raises over two years in a deal that she brokered last month. And with teachers receiving large raises in the last three contracts, many teachers would say they like the way she counts.
But Ms. Weingarten, the standard bearer for more than 80,0000 teachers, was left flummoxed by a question about fractions yesterday when she was on “The Brian Lehrer Show” on WNYC radio, to discuss a recent report calling for a reinvention of American public schools. “What is 1/3 plus ¼?” the guest host, Mike Pesca, asked.
“What is 1/3 and ¼?” Ms. Weingarten stalled. “I would actually have to do it on paper.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I think we're all missing the essential point to the earnest attempt by the unfortunate union servant's to master a very difficult field of endeavor. It isn't really what the level of accomplishment is, or whether the answer is right or wrong. First, we must understand the boss's feelings about math. And then we must understand that we have to drastically increase funding immediately, and continue doing so, regardless of outcome.
Christ the King H.S. class of '68!
That's cute. God bless you both.
CTK Class of '69.
Here's one for you. I stepped into the gym at Long Beach to coach my daughter's CYO basketball team and go to the ref, who looks very familiar. It was Jim Raftery, my gym teacher from CTK. We've seen each other about a dozen times over the past two years and only have good memories of CTK.
Long Beach, NY, I presume?
Yes. Long Beach Catholic Center here on Long Island. It's a beautiful facility about a block from the ocean. We're in Oceanside and our kids play on sports teams that compete against other towns on the island. I played CYO and PAL sports back in Queens and coaching gives me the opportunity to stay active and do things with my kids.
BTW: I drove through Springfield Gardens and South Ozone Park on the way to News Years Day dinner with Mom and Dad today.
The answer is that a fair number of the teachers they had in K-12 told them that they were bad at math, often in almost boastful terms, and consequently they learned that it is more socially acceptable to assert poverty of mathematical ability than to go through effort to acquire that ability. (Kind of a race-neutral version of not getting good grades to avoid 'acting white'.)
Maybe so.
I was a math teacher for many years and when parent conferences came around and I was not preaching to the choir, many parents readily acknowledged that they were poor at math. And, would say so in the presence of their children. I took that to mean that the parents didn't necessarily expect their children to be proficient either.
Because it's something that I've tried to tackle but have never been successful at. I'm not ashamed of it, my brain just doesn't work that way.
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