My constant concern as an advocate for students and for teachers is our
professional tendency to address our concerns at the expense of our
colleagues. That which has been explained to be, both by you and by Pat
confirms my understanding of the mission of community colleges.
However, based on some of the discussion generated around the issues of
developmental courses, student readiness, and an overall tone of
disparagement toward public school math programs an impression had been
created, however mistaken on my part, that in some way, community
colleges had either originated with a different focus, or that the focus
had changed.
My former teaching assignment was in a very compartmentalized
environment in which I had students for only one year with no real
knowledge of their previous math education nor of any other
environmental factors which affected their understanding or attitudes.
For the past 17 years, I have been teaching in a k-12 school in a
community of about 350 persons. Even though the turnover in staff at
this school averages about 25% annually (9 full time teachers), I do
have the opportunity to observe my students longitudinally as math
students and as neighbors. It is much more difficult to cast opprobrium
at the elementary and middle school math teachers when I have observed
their instructional methods and worked with both students and teachers
in areas of method, curriculum and remediation. It was much easier to
blame elementary teachers for the deficiencies of my students when I was
ignorant of both the students' instruction and environment.
There are many areas in which I believe my own math instruction might be
improved. I bristle at any implication that I am doing a poor job. I
am doing an excellent job and will continue to improve. I believe this
to be true generally of my colleagues.
In Alaska, legislation has been introduced to utilize K-12 instructional
funds for remediation of students who have received a certificate of 12
years of public school education but who have not received a high school
diploma do to having failed to pass the state's legislated high school
exit exam. I believe that siphoning funds from current k-12 student
programs in order to fund what may be a rapidly growing remediation
effort has the appearance of a severe downward spiral. If I could
effectively drop out of school at age 16 reducing the per pupil funding
to a school district and then at age 19 show up for district funded
remediation, I have siphoned funds from the district at double the rate.
Richard Kern
Napaskiak
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