Lew Romagnano
President, Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics
We live in “interesting” times. The state is creating new mathematics content standards for grades P through 12. That’s interesting. The economic crisis has sent school districts scurrying for ways to meet their financial needs. That’s interesting, too. The federal government is funneling gobs of money to the states in support of educational innovations. That’s really interesting.
So how will all this interesting stuff affect us in the mathematics teaching community here in Colorado, and what should we do? First, get to know the new standards. The first public draft is available for review (and comment until June 9). The final version of the new standards will be presented to the Colorado Board of Education for review and approval in December 2009.
Second, learn more about the Obama administration’s education priorities, and how Colorado is responding. The U.S. Department of Education has outlined four “core reforms”:
- College and career-ready standards and high quality, valid, and reliable assessments for all students, including ELLs and students with disabilities
- Pre-K to higher education data systems that meet the principles in the America COMPETES Act
- Teacher effectiveness and equitable distribution of effective teachers
- Intensive support and effective interventions for lowest performing schools
Third, and perhaps most importantly, become an active member of the community of mathematics teaching professionals. Learn more about the mathematics you are teaching and how it fits into the school mathematics story across the grades. Collaborate with colleagues to design and teach rich and engaging lessons, and share this work with others. That is, continue to learn.
Attend our fall conference, read our newsletter, apply for our grants, and visit this website often. These are interesting times, and CCTM is your partner, collaborator, and advocate.