What’s Active?

Welcome to EduIssues.com, a site to discuss education issues facing the area around San Mateo, CA.  Please read the Welcome message for more details about this site.  All discussions are moderated as explained in the Welcome message.

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Most Important Articles for new Visitors to this Blog

  1. Critical Warnings re AP Classes
  2. It’s AP ex(sc)am time again!
  3. Never Believe Educational Experts (or Me)!
  4. “Mutual Assured Destruction”
  5. Attention SMUHSD Parents! State Mandated Testing Negatively Impacts Aragon’s Physics Program
  6. Info from UC Berkeley confirms why students should not skip from Precalculus to Calculus BC
  7. Pros and Cons of the CPM Math Textbook Series
  8. Why Can’t We Teach Mathematics Properly?
  9. A Hole in the Aragon Math Curriculum
  10. How to Interest Kids in Science, Engineering, and Math

 

Recent Topics

(Click on any topic title below for all articles in that category in reverse chronological order – only the most recent or important articles are listed below)

Education News

  1. Update on the NGSS impact on the Local Physics Curriculum
  2. How Students are “Accelerating” in Math at Aragon
  3. The Fine Art of Delay – An Open Letter to the SMUHSD Board
  4. The Aragon 2018-2019 School Year Begins – and so do the calls for help
  5. Will a Female Physicist Succeed Where Einstein Failed?
  6. STEM Class Issues from the 2017-2018 Aragon School Year: Part 3 – Physics
  7. Why U.S. Schools Should Not Be Like Shanghai!
  8. Before You Vote on Upcoming School Ballot Measures, Please Read This!
  9. “Mutual Assured Destruction”
  10. My Speech to the SMUHSD Board on NGSS

 

Issues in Teaching Mathematics     

  1. How Students are “Accelerating” in Math at Aragon
  2. STEM Class Issues from the 2017-2018 Aragon School Year: Part 2 – AP Statistics
  3. STEM Class Issues from the 2017-2018 Aragon School Year: Part 1 – Precalculus (with an aside on Multivariable Calculus)
  4. Pros and Cons of the CPM Math Textbook Series
  5. Why is 10^0 = 1 ???
  6. Why Can’t We Teach Mathematics Properly?
  7. Here We Go Again….

 

AP Class Crisis

  1. How Students are “Accelerating” in Math at Aragon
  2. The Fine Art of Delay – An Open Letter to the SMUHSD Board
  3. STEM Class Issues from the 2017-2018 Aragon School Year: Part 3 – Physics
  4. “Mutual Assured Destruction”
  5. Attention SMUHSD Parents! State Mandated Testing Negatively Impacts Aragon’s Physics Program
  6. Taking the Fight to Harvard
  7. It’s AP ex(sc)am time again!
  8. Critical Warnings re AP Classes
  9. A Hole in the Aragon Math Curriculum
  10. A very unfortunate local test practice that I think is hurting students.
  11. How to Interest Kids in Science, Engineering, and Math.
  12. Confirmation from UC Berkeley on problems with AP classes

 

Teacher Salaries

  1. Before You Vote on Upcoming School Ballot Measures, Please Read This!
  2. IMPORTANT – SMFCSD Seeks Community Input on School Finances
  3. “I’ve Ended Many School Days Crying in My Car”
  4. SMFCSD Settles Contract Dispute with Teachers, But What Comes Next???
  5. SM Daily Journal: Battle over teacher pay gets worse

 

College Admissions

  1. How to get in to Harvard
  2. SAT Test Prep Recommendations

 

Top Ten Most Read Articles

  1. Pros and Cons of the CPM Math Textbook Series
  2. It’s AP ex(sc)am time again!
  3. Critical Warnings re AP Classes
  4. Info from UC Berkeley confirms why students should not skip from Precalculus to Calculus BC
  5. Back to School – Changes at Aragon HS
  6. “Educators laud test success” – Give me a break!!!!
  7. “I’ve Ended Many School Days Crying in My Car”
  8. How to Get in to Harvard
  9. The Aragon 2018-2019 School Year Begins – and so do the calls for help
  10. A Hole in the Aragon Math Curriculum

Thank you for reading and participating on this site.  Together we can make a difference and improve education for our local students!

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AP Exam Questions on Chapter Tests?!?

AP Exam questions should not be used on chapter tests early in the school year except possibly as extra credit. This practice of using “trick questions” too early damages students’ confidence when they are trying to master material for the first time.

Continue reading “AP Exam Questions on Chapter Tests?!?”

Critical Warnings re AP Classes

Extremely important information about high school AP math and science courses gained from “bitter experience.” Parents and incoming students should carefully study this article BEFORE they sign up for classes each year.

Continue reading “Critical Warnings re AP Classes”