I don’t have a problem with a teacher venting, if they are clear that that is what they are doing, and do it with someone with whom they have an appropriate relationship. In most cases this isn’t a parent–but I have had a few teachers that I had that kind of relationship with. Those teachers were willing to participate in finding solutions, shared good stuff as well as bad, and understood themselves to be professionals.

I don’t know if there were any math or science community groups available or interested in collaborating with the schools who were involved. The fact that Republicans signed off is an indication that this was probably not–as many have charged–some kind of sleazy Marxist indoctrination program.

And yes–the aims are relevant when assessing the results. It is not fruitful to assess the effects on math and science achievement if the aims were to improve the governing ability of the local neighborhoods in response to a legislated decentralization of schools–which was already in place.

I understand that FactCheck.org also has pertinent information on William Ayers, his relationship with Barack Obama and other issues. Again, for folks who are actually interested in such things.

The aims aren’t relevant after it’s over, only the results.

I think what’s being reflected (not very effectively) by the poster, is that she, the teacher, has the child for part of a day for one year, while the parent has known the child since birth and spends, actually, much more time with him/her. But, yes, it’s wrong for the teacher to simply want to vent to a parent. That’s not useful.

If it’s the parent’s fault that the child misbehaves at school, does that mean that it’s the teacher’s fault if the child misbehaves at home?

Many comment threads get distracted with “what’s the value of a math degree” when in fact we’re talking about math as gateway not as end-result.

I find folly in bringing this discussion down to the cute and often meaningless pieces of paper we call degrees. Really, the value of learning math, real math with the horrors of multiplication tables, standard algorithms, and *gasp* right answers is that it introduces to the mind an entirely different way of considering the world. It’s a kind of disciplined outlook that produces things like airplanes, automobiles, and the internet.

So often, by teaching “math appreciation” in place of math in our schools we rob kids of the opportunity to experience this outlook. Instead, we fill them with the idea like “any answer is the right one so long as you explain how you got there”. Then, later, when they encounter real math for the first time they hate it because it’s unfamiliar and unforgiving.

At this point, they are cut off from understanding so much of the world, from the sciences to the inner workings of music. They not only don’t have the knowledge to understand them, they don’t have or appreciate the mindset needed to understand them.

No math or science?

> various Republican office-holders

So? In any other context, you’d be saying that Repubs are clueless. What makes them reputable this time?

Or, are you suggesting that we should believe something because a Repub says it?