Comments on the proposal

[jane.w...@gmail.com]

Your comments, suggestions, and feedback are critical to promoting a
quality proposal. Please feel free to share you information through
the discussion thread.

[cbuckley]

It is with great interest and excitement that I read of a math
specialist certification being considered in PA. I may be a bit naïve
in my viewpoints, but offer my two cents just the same. While I
understand the concerns brought to the table by others about the
minimum amount of teaching experience required before obtaining this
certification, I am concerned that a requirement of five years
experience would discourage otherwise suitable, enthusiastic
candidates from considering this path. I believe that some undergrads
have an intense interest in teaching math at the elementary level. I
personally know of an individual who has assumed responsibility for
advocating for professional development in her district on topics such
as problem solving in elementary math, best practices in a math
classroom, current developments in pedagogy as relates to math
instruction, etc. She has made it her mission to be the “go-to”
person and local elementary math expert. These events took place well
before she would have reached the “five year” mark in her professional
career. While I appreciate the caution exercised in the five year
requirement expressed by others, I fear that during those five years
many energetic and enthusiastic mathematically minded professionals
will have buckled to the sense of urgency to satisfy the credit
requirement for permanent certification, and will be pursue other
focus areas.
A second point I wanted to make addresses the question of whether
to make the certification PK-5 or PK-12. Nearly all of the articles
referenced noted the benefits of ELEMENTARY math specialists. While I
think it is imperative for specialists to have an understanding of how
early math skills relate to advanced mathematics content, I think the
most important skills and knowledge this specialist should have focus
on elementary needs. With rare exception, I think it would be
extremely difficult for one individual to be an expert or “specialist”
in one content area spanning that many years. As an example, I point
to the current principal certification. While my principal
certification qualifies me as an administrator K-12, I certainly feel
much more competent in all aspects of leadership regarding curriculum,
discipline, motivation, pedagogy, etc. at one end of the K-12 spectrum
than the other. I think we would be setting the professional up for
failure to expect them to cover such a wide age range. Truly,
motivating students to learn math at age five differs significantly
from inspiring them at age 16. Likewise, the support required for the
professionals that teach Kindergarten would be vastly different from
the support required for teachers of Calculus at the secondary level.
I strongly support the concept of Elementary Math Specialist.
In the proposal, a practicum requirement was listed. I wonder if
this can be completed while teaching full time. Could this resemble
“action research” with current students? As the proposal or
discussion currently stands, have any considerations been made for
those that have filled this role through self-directed learning?
Finally, I am wondering if the idea of elementary math specialist has
been presented to a sampling of public school administrators. Will
the concept be embraced? In the age of budgetary cuts, is creating a
“specialist” position the best way to improve mathematics instruction
across the state? I don’t know the answer.
Thanks for the opportunity the comment!

[Williams Steven]

It seems to me that the removal of any minimum years of teaching
requirement would seriously "upset the fruit basket" of the proposal.
It seems to me that the spirit of the proposal, beginning with the
definition of a MS, is to take "proven" teachers and leaders and have
them become the MS. I'm just not sure how this can happen at the
undergraduate level. I don't know many teachers who have been in the
profession for several years who would take too kindly to a 22 year
old with no teaching experience coming in and being the "specialist."

While I completely understand the fact that there are energetic
undergraduates with this desire, and maybe even a few of them who
could step right in and do this job, I don't agree that allowing that
would be in the best interest of the majority of all stakeholders. Are
there these types of prerequisites for a Principal's certificate? I am
not familliar with those requirements. It just seems to me that in
order to meet the expectations of the proposal with respect to content
knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, curriculum knowledge, leadership
skills, etc, the candidate needs to have some experience in the
classroom. I think a few years of experience is invaluable for someone
who desires respect in a leadership position.

Steve

> > the discussion thread.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Jason]

I encourage separating the Geometry and Measurement category into two
separate categories; this would better align to the PDE Academic
Standards for Mathematics and the reporting categories on the PSSA.

[Jason]

The concerns about the years of experience are interesting. One
pattern that is often observed in newer teachers is they pursue a
reading specialist certification as part of a masters degree. Part of
their motivation may be salary advancement. If the mathematics
certification is tied into a masters degree program, I suspect it may
take at least three years for a teacher to earn it; this assumes they
are working full time and chipping away at the degree in the evenings
or weekends. What is a definite truth is that the need for
mathematics specialists is significant because there is nothing
elementary about elementary mathematics.

[Judy Werner]

The reading specialists have to do a practicum as well and there are
arrangements made where the practicum can be done without interfering
with teaching loads. I think it can be done.
Also, the reading specialists are k-12 and while many are certified
k-6 the people who received the reading specialist certificate do not
go to high schools to work as a reading specialist - at least not in
my experience.
In addition, I have had elementary and secondary teachers in grad
classes from time to time. The learning experience between the two
groups is tremendous because the teachers communicate and begin to
understand the connection between the two levels. Many times the grad
students learn as much from the interaction as they do from the
readings and assignments.

At one time there was a theory (long ago) that all secondary teacher
candidates should go through the elementary preparation program in
addition to secondary to understand how the curriculum, teaching and
pedagogy flow. Sometimes I think that was not a bad idea.

And about the 5 years experience - I tend to agree with you. The
teachers who would seek this certificate probably are excited about
teaching mathematics, maybe have more than the minimum number of math
credits to qualify for certification. I think three years would be
adequate in most cases. I would like to think that someone who
dislikes math or has an anxiety toward math would not consider this
program.

On Jul 13, 7:40 pm, cbuckley <cbuckle...@embarqmail.com> wrote:

[CIC Mercyhurst team]

Hi Judy,

I found your comment interesting that Reading Specialists are working primarily with K-6.  We are certified in K-12.  I was a secondary 9-12 reading specialist for 30 years.  Many schools in our area are using reading specialists at the secondary level and calling them literacy coaches.  I beleive the coursework needed for math specialist should include the same math courses that are required to receive secondary math certification.  Required math courses for elementary teachers are extremely insufficeint to prepare someone to serve a school as a math specialist.

Yes, I agree with the five years of experience.  I think there needs to be more communicationand integration of training for secondary and elementary pre-service programs.  I learned so much about the teaching of English in my Reading Specialist program because I was learning from elementary teachers about how students LEARN,nit just about content in Ehglish.