EducationNews.org

Dana Center's math proposal turned down by Texas State Board of Education   Solid thinking and action were shown by the Texas State Board of Education on Friday, July 17, when they voted against adopting a high school mathematic...

Nakonia (Niki) Hayes
Columnist EducationNews.org
I know that most reporters can't spend the time necessary to understand the complexities within the world of public education today. As with most professions, what happens "inside" is most clearly understood by those who work behind the confines of any profession's walls. That's a given. The proof of a profession's good service must be determined by those who benefit from it, or, in the case of America's public education, the exponentially growing number of those who don't.

By Nakonia (Niki) Hayes
Columnist EdNews.org
Faulty construction was the complaint of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) of Everyday Math’s third grade materials up for adoption in November of this year. It wasn’t about the 109, 263 proofreading mistakes in mathematics materials submitted by all the publishers this year in Texas.

By Nakonia (Niki) Hayes
Columnist EdNews.org
Mathematics is the heart of music, so shouldn’t we teach music as constructivist/ reformist mathematics educators insist that children learn that discipline? That is, shouldn’t music students be taught to play by ear? Suppose your child had to learn to play a musical instrument by ear. There would be no focus on the symbols of music, sounds of specific notes, practicing of scales, learning classical pieces, or even learning some standard tunes (“Chop Sticks”) from which creative “extensions” could be made.

Nakonia (Niki) Hayes Columnist EdNews.org
First, Politics Require Understanding and Use
Mathematics education reformists warn us to keep politics out of the math "debates." That's a lofty and ideal goal. Political actions too often cause more problems than they solve as people see their issues as "wins" and "losses" that support egos and turf.