Monday, November 30, 2009

City to take over former Jackson Heights Catholic school

From indiejourno.com:

For many students in Queens, overcrowded schools are a constant reality. Each day they jostle and push through crammed hallways, squeezing into classrooms designed for fewer occupants.

Some students in Jackson Heights, however, may soon be granted a reprieve, as the city has acquired the Blessed Sacrament School building at 34-20 94th St. and will be turning the facility into a public school, set to open in September 2010. The new school is expected to eventually house 700 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

After months of speculation, the school was finally acquired from the Catholic Diocese, which had shut down Blessed Sacrament as enrollment levels at the Catholic school dropped to a precipitous low of 180 students in January 2009.

On Thursday, members of CDEC 30 brainstormed what the new curriculum for the school ought to be, with five educators from across the city presenting proposals.

Jacqueline Coombs, who has been an educator for the last 17 years, also supported the idea of having the curriculum reflect the diversity of the neighborhood.

“For example, Friday would be ‘game day,’ and we can use this day to learn how math across the world is different and how different cultures add and subtract differently,” Coombs said, alluding to the use of the abacus and other counting instruments that would be used to enhance the learning experience.


Ok, students don't need "game day" or to be taught how math is learned in other countries. Here's a crazy idea...how about concentrating on teaching them how to read, write and count so they have skills necessary to become successful in this country? Get your priorities in order. You're doing a disservice to these kids.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Teach kids how math is used in this country. All those interested in how math is applied in other countries, should very well learn and apply in those countries in the first place.

Anonymous said...

Almost began my career there. The principal told me I would be teaching 40 first graders.
You wouldn't believe how low the salary was. Poverty level.

Anonymous said...

Blessed Sacrament wouldn't have had to close if NYC had approved of vouchers for parents who cared enough to send their children there.

Anonymous said...

Teach kids how math is used in this country.

you must mean mean how they teach the multiplication table in the 4th grade

how to use a calculator by 7th grade

and finally learn basic algebra by high school graduation


I'm sorry but our whole curriculum, not just math, all of it is ass backwards

if they don't educate the future you're just going to increase crime and the lower class in new york

btw i came here when i was 6 and i knew math being thought in schools up to the 5th grade the board of ed is truly ludicrous

"Basic algebra involving fractions and decimals stumped a group of City University of New York freshmen - suggesting city schools aren't preparing them, a CUNY report shows."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009/11/12/2009-11-12_cunys_got_math_problem_many_freshmen_from_city_hs_fail_at_basic_algebra.html#ixzz0YVXqoGV5

Anonymous said...

You would not believe how ridiculous the program called Everyday Mathematics that is being used citywide is. Math professors around the country are criticizing it. But Klein couldn't give a damn. He knows better.

Anonymous said...

just googled everyday maths..



good god just start outsourcing all the jobs now and put the kids on a fast track toward welfare.


seriously give the kids abacus'and what not leave the calculators for real maths not basic maths

how much more do they want to dumb down american children ?

Anonymous said...

Told ya..