An article in EdSource talks about how California is doing in its implementation of Common Core. The big message (wait for it): Teachers need more training. (Theme music, audience applause, and fade to the smarmy host drinking coffee.)
I read as far as this passage before I realized I’d heard all this before:
“Teachers from elementary school to the college level need additional training in Common Core standards because, under previous standards, teachers focused on the memorization of procedures and rules instead of understanding the concepts behind math problems, Dell told EdSource.
“Similarly, he said many administrators are still hanging onto “old school thinking” that kids should be practicing the same kinds of problems over and over again instead of learning how math works and applying it in real world situations.”
Right; and for schools that insist on students not practicing the same kinds of problems, but instead are required every day to solve different ones for which they have little or no prior knowledge of how to solve: How’s that been working out for everyone? And the drawing of pictures and inefficient methods used in lieu of standard algorithms for two to three years before teaching the standard algorithm? Everyone on board with that?
Well, everything’s OK then. I just worry over nothing, I guess.
traditional math 
Best said by Herb Simon, “Nothing flies more in the face of the last twenty years of research than the assertion that practice is bad. All evidence, from the laboratory and from extensive case studies of professionals, indicates that real competence only comes with extensive practice. By denying the critical role of practice, one is denying children the very thing they need to achieve competence.”
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I don’t know how much evidence is needed here to support best practices for teaching mathematics. Obviously, it doesn’t seem to matter. The only way this silliness will stop, is if parents send their tutoring bills en masse to their School Boards. Perhaps THEN, they might start paying attention.
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If any of those people happen to read this blog, I want them to know that they are clueless. Just ask us parents of your best students. Ask us. We know exactly what works.
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