Missing the "Core"

Are textbook companies missing the mark on the Common Core?

I've heard the current (prior to Common Core State Standards, or CCSS) system of teaching mathematics in the US referred to as "a mile wide, and an inch deep." Curriculums and textbooks cover a very broad range of topics, at the expense of in-depth learning of any one topic.

According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a main goal of the CCSS is to focus learning. In other words, eliminate some of the obscure topics and allow students to study important topics more in-depth. But are major textbook companies still missing the mark?

I've had a chance to scan a few high school level mathematics textbooks toting the "Common Core" label, and not much has changed. For example, an Algebra 2 textbook covers the same number of topics with lessons that fail to conceptually build from prior knowledge. Compare these two lessons:

• Objective: Graph and write equations of circles
• Standard equation of a circle is (x-h)^2+(y-k)^2=r^2
• (h,k) is the center of the circle
• Example 1: Write the equation of a circle with center (-2,5) and radius 7.

• Standard: G.GPE.1 - Derive the equation of a circle given the center and radius using the pythagorean theorem.
• Standard equation of a circle is (x-h)^2+(y-k)^2=r^2
• (h,k) is the center of the circle
• Example 1: Write the equation of a circle with center (-2,5) and radius 7.

The lessons are the same. The illustrations are slightly different. But the "Common Core" textbook still doesn't DERIVE the equation.

What have I gotten myself into?

This year I was selected as a member of the LearnZillion Dream Team. The company kicked off the summer with TeachFest in San Francisco. Here are my reflections from the weekend that I sent to the LearnZillion Team as I sat in SFO awaiting my return flight home:

About a year ago I was told by my principal that after two years of teaching my contract was not being renewed because I was one year away from tenure and that it would be too difficult to get rid of me the following year. At first I felt like a failure, like I was a terrible teacher, rather than the victim of school/union politics. In addition, I was convinced that the non-renewal left me with a scarlet letter on my teaching career and that I'd never get another classroom teaching job. And that may be true. But this past year, I've been rewarded more than I could have imagined, by current students I am tutoring/academic coaching, and by former students who have written me letters of appreciation as they've been accepted to their college of choice. And then this. 

LearnZillion took a chance on me. At first I thought, there couldn't have been many applicants because I kept getting emails reminding me that the deadline to complete Part II of the application was approaching. But when I received the acceptance email telling me I was one of the 6% chosen to be part of the Dream Team, I was ecstatic! Finally, I was going to be able to conglomerate all of my skills and knowledge into something meaningful. LearnZillion saw my potential to do great things!

Admittedly, I was a little skeptical as I read the Facebook posts. I thought, "What have I gotten myself into? I'm not going to fit in with these people at all. They are way too enthusiastic about this." But then I arrived and looked around the room full of teachers the first night and thought, "What have I gotten myself into? I'm not going to fit in with these people at all. They have way more experience than me, and they're all classroom teachers." Then we met with our teams, and the skepticism began to fade and we began to collaborate. I heard teachers who were skeptical themselves about the Common Core, and I realized how lucky I had been my first two years because I had taught Integrated Mathematics, which seems to be much more aligned to the CCSS. I realized, I wasn't out of my league, that this was where I was supposed to be. And I began to think about what I could bring to the table, and how I could help the other people in my team. 

So, the questions changed from "What have I gotten myself into?" to "What can I get myself into?" TeachFest has gotten me excited to start looking for other ways that I can continue to make a difference by improving education from outside of the classroom. I don't know where this road will lead me, but I'd like to thank LearnZillion for helping to open my eyes to all of the possibilities.