2018 Rebuttal Memo
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The teacher writes a rebuttal to the mathematics supervisor disputing claims made in a previous memo. Specifically, the teacher takes issue with characterizations of enrichment activities in their honors classes and claims about lesson planning and complaints. The teacher provides context and examples to support their perspective and wonders why the situation has "been blown so out of proportion." The teacher details their experience and contributions to argue they should not be "penalized" or told "how to teach."
2018 Rebuttal Memo
- 1. Rebuttal 10/9/2018 To: Lok H. Yung, Mathematics Supervisor 6-12 From: A. Jorge García, Mathematics Teacher Re: Rebuttal 10/9/2018 Date: 10/27/2018 Rest assured that I am ready willing and able to institute any and all changes to my classroom that may benefit my students. However, after the memo of 10/9/2018, I cannot remain silent as I must correct a few errors. Therefore, what follows is my response to said memo. In the second paragraph of your memo, you state that this meeting began by reviewing what “we informally discussed” during our first meeting in Mr. Nolan’s office on 9/25/2018 where you asked me “to focus on fewer enrichment topics.” I took your comments to heart and complied with your request. Further you mention a classroom visitation on 10/3/2018 where I was screening a video about “The Elements.” After your visit you told me that the video and ensuing class discussion were fine as they constituted only a very brief use of class time and contributed to interdisciplinary instruction related to Chemistry. Given the above, I wonder why this second meeting was necessary. Further, such enrichment activities, especially for Honors students, have always been encouraged and commended in the past. Most of these activities center around STEM topics. I thought we were encouraging students to study STEM, or are we just paying lip service to the growing need of STEM education for our nation’s youth? The third paragraph mentions my blog http://shadowfaxrant.blogspot.com which “contains information that does not pertain to the curriculum.” I do not agree with that description as my blog is devoted to sharing teaching resources relating to Mathematics and Computer Science for students, parents and teachers. In fact, many teachers have told me that they have found these resources useful in their own classrooms. Doesn’t Domain 4 of Danielson’s Framework talk about professional responsibilities outside the classroom? I am a very active participant in the Mathematics Community. Part of my responsibilities has traditionally included training many teachers from Baldwin and other districts over the years using these materials, that I share on my blog, during professional development courses and at Mathematics conferences. My blog contains many resources such as coding samples relevant to preCalculus, Calculus and Computer Science in addition to several links to lesson summaries I have recorded as screencasts stored on http://www.youtube.com/calcpage2009. These screencasts are an invaluable resource for my students aiding them to complete homework or make up work when absent and to review topics for exams. 1 2018Rebuttal.doc
- 2. The following paragraph goes on to say that “you are not properly planning lessons that coincide with the pre-calculus curriculum.” As you can see from the 30 lesson plans I have emailed to you during these past several weeks, this assertion could not be farther from the truth. The preCalculus curriculum is first and foremost in my mind when planning lessons. I endeavor to include enrichment activities during very short periods of time and only when all the preCalculus topics have been covered and reinforced. Further, you mention that “we have received numerous parent and student complaints about the lack of rigor in your lessons.” I cannot tell you how surprising this comment is to me as my lessons have been characterized as perhaps too rigourous at times! On the second page there are four bullets. Please note that I have complied with bullets 1-3: Bullet #1 “Instruction, instructional materials and instructional time are to be completely aligned with the curriculum and topics.” Clearly I have complied with this request as seen above. Bullet #2 “Weekly lesson plans are to be submitted to Mathematics Supervisor, Mr. Lok Yung, using the attached format starting October 15, 2018.” To date, you have received 30 such lesson plans. Bullet #3 “You are directed to remove from your website information that does not pertain to the assigned curriculum.” Immediately after our meeting of 10/9/2018, I have ceased posting such materials. Further, I have since removed the link to my blog from my Baldwin Teacher Website. Bullet #4, however, was not addressed during this meeting, “You will refrain from discussing these matters with students.” As this last bullet was not mentioned at the meeting and I received your memo several days after the meeting, I did mention to my students that they should expect a few changes in my lessons starting the week of 10/15/2018. I thought it only fair that they should know that the classroom environment was to change drastically. Students then took it upon themselves to start a Google Survey discussing these changes. 47 out of the 50 preCalculus Honors students responded. All the respondents indicated that they were not in favor of these changes. In light of the survey results, I wonder how there could have been so many complaints. I do not understand why this situation has been blown so out of proportion. The moment a parent complains to the administration about a class, the parent should be redirected to contact the teacher. Then the teacher could help the student and parent directly. At that point, if the teacher is not helpful, the proper channel of communication would lead the parent to contact the immediate supervisor. It is entirely reasonable for you to tell me what to teach, where to teach and when to teach. However, I find it demoralizing to be told how to teach. Just as every student learns differently, so does every teacher have their own teaching style. I have always endeavored to create a culture of wonder and discovery in my classroom. This is how I reach my students, this is how I help them to make connections. The changes you have demanded of me have all but destroyed that culture. 2 2018Rebuttal.doc
- 3. As a part of establishing this culture, I’m always trying to make my classroom environment inviting and welcoming. I decorate my room with several posters related to STEM and I greet each of my students every day. Further, I’ve always tried to empower my students by exposing them to the latest technology. I also try to give them choices. Students can use a Graphing Calculator or coding to do their homework, for example. I draw from decades of experience to help my students learn new and challenging concepts in Mathematics and Computer Science. I’ve been teaching High School Mathematics and Computer Science since 1984. I’ve been teaching College Mathematics (at Nassau Community College) and AP Calculus with Graphing Calculators since 1993. I’ve been teaching with Linux since 1995 and Computer Algebra Systems since 2002. I’ve been teaching Pythonic Math and Coding in the Cloud since 2011. Computing in the cloud includes using the Python programming language in SAGE on the Google Compute Platform in Mathematics class as well as the Java programming language in CS50 on the Amazon Cloud in Computer Science class. The activities that I have been directed to cease, are for enrichment purposes. The students in my Mathematics classes are honors students. I have always been told to provide some enrichment for them. As a result, students don’t often ask, “when are we ever going to use this?” Instead, I show them. For example, during Youtube Wednesdays I screen a short clip from a documentary related to STEM from sources such as NOVA or National Geographic. Then we have a short discussion. It’s a way of getting a guest speaker in my classroom every week to encourage my students’ interests in a STEM career. I like to think of this activity as a “poor man’s field trip!” I have always been a resource for my department. I wonder why you need to penalize one of your most creative, productive and devoted teachers? Perhaps a little historical perspective is in order. What follows is a short, by no means exhaustive, list of some of the contributions I have made over the course of my 30 plus year career serving the Baldwin community: 1) I was hired in the 1980s to teach Mathematics and Computer Science. Also, when I started teaching, there were no PCs in the district. By 1989 I had designed, installed and maintained several PC Labs. Back then, the move to using PCs in class met with a lot of resistance. In the 1990s I encouraged teachers to use Graphing Calculators (GCs) for the first time. I attended several conferences and institutes to get training in using GCs. I also offered several inservice training sessions for teachers. The move to GCs was also met with much resistance. In the 2000s I have been working with students and teachers to use computing tools in the cloud instead of GCs. Many schools are moving away from GCs and moving toward Pythonic Math. I think the current issue in my classroom is due, in part, to resistance to coding in the Mathematics classroom. SAGE Tuesdays were devoted to showing the students how to use the Python programming language on the Google Compute Platform instead of a GC to complete classwork, homework, quizzes and tests. SAGE is a free and powerful Computer Algebra System that runs on any modern browser developed at Harvard with research grants funded by the NSF. 2) I have represented Baldwin at several Conferences and Roundtables. I have been a speaker for LIMACON at SUNY Old Westbury and Teachers Teaching with Technology (T^3) at Molloy College several times in the last decade alone. In the 1990s I have also attended many Calculus and Computer Science Roundtables. I have also taught several professional development courses: 1980s WordProcessing, Spreadsheeting, Databasing 3 2018Rebuttal.doc
- 4. 1990s Programming TI83/84/89/92, BASIC, Pascal, C++ 2000s Programming Octave/MATLAB, SAGE/Mathematica, R/SPSS, Java, Python 3) I have been an advisor for several extra curricular activities: 1980s Computer Club 1990s Chess Club 1990-2000s Continental Mathematics League (CML) 1990-2000s Computing Science Independent Study (CSI) 2000s National Computer Science Honors Society (NCSHS) 4) I have also proposed and written curriculum for several new courses: 1980s Computer Math (CM) 1990s Advanced Computer Math (ACM) 2000s Computer Science Honors (CSH) 2000s Calculus Research Lab (aka CSL: Computing Science Lab) 5) I have maintained several College Board AP Audits: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science A & AB (CSAP) 6) I have completed several http://www.donorschoose.org/calcpage2010 campaigns: First PC Projector in the High School Class set of TI nSPire CX CAS GCs for my AP Calculus students Samsung Galaxy NotePro 12.2 for screencasting my lessons CoDrones for last year’s final project in AP Computer Science RPIs for this year’s Computing Science Independent Study project 7) AP Computer Science was cancelled for the 1999-2000 school year due to low enrollment. Ever since then I have taken a day near Admiral Grace Murray Hopper's birthday (12/9/1906) to conduct an in-school field trip. This Field Trip is not for my own students. I try to get all the other Honors Mathematics teachers on board and have them bring their classes to my PC Lab. If I have a lot of Juniors, I will also take a day to do this with my own students. Over the past few years my Field Trip has dovetailed with code.org’s Hour Of Code and CS ED Week. I have developed my own Hour Of Code based on Processing.org graphics programming projects. In conclusion, what have I learned over the years from all these experiences? At first, any change in teaching paradigm or use of technology in the classroom will be met with resistance. As the person who has always been passionate about spearheading these changes in my department, I have felt the brunt of said resistance. I suppose, therefore, that I am fated to suffer for my art. Sincerely, A. Jorge García Baldwin SHS & Nassau CC Applied Mathematics, Physics & CS mailto:calcpage@gmail.com 4 2018Rebuttal.doc