Educators, principals and district officials spend two hours
looking for ways to fix district’s math plan
Gilroy – About 24 teachers took a breather from summer vacation and showed up for a two-hour discussion Tuesday on how to best improve the district’s math instruction.
District officials decided to stage the mid-summer joint meeting after receiving a not-so-pleasant reaction from teachers following the unveiling of a comprehensive math plan. Teachers, parents and board members said the plan was vague and lacked specific accountability measures.
Board approval was placed on hold. In response, Assistant Superintendent Jacki Horejs and Director of Curriculum and Instruction Olivia Schaad, the two main authors of the plan, decided to take a different approach: arrange a collaborative meeting.
“We really want it to be a joint effort,” Horejs said at the onset of the discussion. “We want your input, that’s why we’re here.”
Three years ago, after noting the local epidemic of substandard math scores, the Gilroy Unified School District decided to place its math program under the microscope and take a closer look. Only 11 percent of high schoolers, 30 percent of middle schoolers and less than half of elementary students are proficient in math. And when compared to the state, most Gilroy students are lagging behind in all grades except for third.
While seated in a friendly circle, Horejs and Schaad kicked off the meeting by asking attendees to identify the meeting’s purpose. When Michelle Nelson, Gilroy Teacher’s Association president, said the point is to design a feasible plan, Horejs asked “Is everyone in agreement?” and every teacher gave a thumbs up.
The group then dove in, using comments teachers compiled during a recent meeting, as the guide. They picked the plan apart piece-by-piece, asking for both short- and long-term objectives, timelines and specifics on accountability measures and math coaches.
And Wayne Scott, a Gilroy High School math teacher, said he’s concerned that the district is continuing to rely on textbooks that aren’t working anywhere since low math performance is a nationwide crisis.
The words “power standards” were also thrown around the room, referring to the district’s grade level curriculum. Valerie Kelly, an Ascencion Solorsano Middle School math teacher, noted that the plan fails to include any of the standards for Gilroy’s middle school students.
The teachers and district officials agreed to continue working on the identification of power standards and release them by the end of the first semester. While the two entities remained on friendly terms throughout most of the meeting, things did become a bit tense when the topic of classroom monitoring surfaced.
Nelson said monitoring is not happening, that an administrator in the classroom is rare. But other teachers and principals shook their heads, saying that’s not true. And another comment that only math experts understand the best way to teach, was also met with a frown.
“I definitely know when I see poor instruction,” said Eliot Elementary School Principal Diane Elia.
The decision to assemble a Math Improvement Coalition – comprised of teachers, union representatives, administrators and parents – was approved toward the end of the meeting. Superintendent Edwin Diaz said he wants to ensure that the committee is jointly sponsored by the teacher’s union and the district.
Many elements of the comprehensive plan were revised but the process is nowhere complete. Another meeting will be staged Thursday at 9am in the district board room.