Press of Atlantic City - Education Press

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Elementary teachers just can't do math, study reveals

By DIANE D'AMICO Education Writer, 609-272-7241

Published: Jun 27, 2008

Elementary school teachers are not learning enough math in college to adequately teach it to children according to a study released Thursday by the National Council on Teacher Quality.

The report cited low expectations and low standards for teachers nationwide and cited only 10 of 77 college education programs reviewed as doing an adequate job. The College of New Jersey was the only New Jersey college in the study, and did not fare well. A surprised William Behre, dean of the School of Education at TCNJ said their program meets all state standards and graduates teachers who are successful in the classroom.

"If the goal of the study is to raise the bar for what students should be learning in college, that is a different discussion," he said. "Our goal is to meet what the state and employers require, and if it should be more, we will meet that as well."

Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, said poor state math standards for elementary school teachers are a problem nationwide. More

Jun 26, 2008

• Parents may get more say in classes for twins

A bill that would give most parents the choice of whether their twins or multiples are kept in the same class at school passed the state Legislature on Monday with almost unanimous support.

Jun 26, 2008

• Bill would give parents more say in class placement of twins, multiples

A bill that would give most parents the choice of whether their twins or multiples are kept in the same class at school passed the state Legislature on Monday with almost unanimous support.

Jun 23, 2008

• Preschools get to work on business of going full-time

LINWOOD - Public preschool is expanding in New Jersey, and it's not just going to affect school districts.

Jun 23, 2008

• Students find their muse in stuffed dolphin

LINWOOD - Not many dolphins need a Filofax. But Seaview the Dolphin had so many fourth-graders at Seaview Elementary school interested in spending time with him, the only way to make sure everyone had a turn was to schedule play dates.

Jun 19, 2008

• County colleges hope to get their STARS back

Community colleges are planning a publicity blitz to let this year's high school graduates know that there likely will be no income limit for recipients of NJSTARS scholarships this fall.

Jun 19, 2008

• County colleges to spread word about no cap on STARS

Community colleges are planning a publicity blitz to let this year's high school graduates know that there likely will be no income limit for recipients of NJSTARS scholarships this fall.

Jun 16, 2008

• NJEA assails lower-end school worker pension measures

Education salaries, pensions and retirement packages have been in the news a lot lately. But while superintendent retirement packages have been getting all the attention, a couple of bills introduced recently have targeted the lower end of the scale, earning the wrath of the New Jersey Education Association, the massive union that represents teachers and other school employees.

Jun 16, 2008

• Special reading system gives O.C. student hope

OCEAN CITY - Samantha Ravelli loves to read the Cheetah Girls books, and her mother, Beth, is more than happy to buy them for her.

Jun 09, 2008

• ACCC visualizes better lab for sight-impaired students

MAYS LANDING - It looks like a typical camera phone. But the Mobile Reader is much more. Designed for the visually impaired, it will snap a photo of a document, then read it aloud as the text appears enlarged on the phone's screen.

Jun 09, 2008

• Workshops at Stockton target teachers willing to learn

Paul Lyons remembers going to a conference after the end of the Cold War and sitting with a Russian scholar who talked about Russian political views of Vietnam and Cuba.

Jun 06, 2008

• Dowd on hold as countywide schools chief

TRENTON -The state Senate Judiciary Committee held up the nomination of Thomas J. Dowd for Atlantic County Executive Superintendent of Schools on Thursday after senators said the state Department of Education does not share the urgency for spending reforms that lawmakers feel from their constituents.

Jun 05, 2008

• N.J. top in nation for rates of high school graduation

New Jersey had the highest high school graduation rate in the country in 2005, at 83.3 percent, according to a report released Wednesday. But graduation rates for Hispanic and black students were not as high as those for white and Asian students; students in poor urban and rural areas, especially in the southern part of the state, also lag.