Introduction
At the last Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, March 24, Board President Phil Kim proposed — and received permission — to merge the eighth-grade algebra discussion and vote with the Progress Monitoring Report for Goal 2 (math). Predictably, the eighth-grade algebra discussion swallowed up the entire allotted time, meaning that once again, the public missed its one chance to hear from the district what was being observed during the middle school learning walks that SFUSD is paying its outside consultant, TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project, an education evaluation firm) to perform so that we can effectively plan to improve and remediate.
Fortunately, The Voice of San Francisco’s world-famous videographer Snoopy and his trusty assistant, Woodstock, snuck around undercover behind SFUSD’s consultants and documented what TNTP consultants were being paid to observe.
“In one school, we observed a majority of teachers not doing math.”
— TNTP
Much of what they observed during this second round of observations was strikingly ineffective mathematical and academic conversations between and among students, leading to a number of shocking observations in their data that deserved serious public oversight and discussion. Some of the worst of these observations included:
Academic ownership indicator No. 5: Students effectively use exploratory talk to clarify or improve their own mathematical understanding. TNTP’s rating: 0 percent
Academic ownership indicator No. 6: Students use precise mathematical language in their explanations and discussions. TNTP’s rating: 27 percent
Rather alarming unnumbered footnote: TNTP’s comment: “In one school, we observed a majority of teachers not doing math, which contributed significantly to the drop.”
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Presented here, unedited, is a transcript of one such math classroom conversations that Snoopy and Woodstock captured and that probably would have been discussed if the Progress Monitoring Report had received its due time as required under SFUSD’s student-outcomes-focused governance model. We are pleased to provide this transcript as a public service.
Scene: A middle school math classroom in SFUSD.
Linus: Look at this diagram — it’s a mess! Plus there’s so much terminology. It’s very confusing.
Charlie Brown: What seems to be the problem?
Linus: Is IDK a complement to IDJ?
Charlie Brown: I mean, it’s not the worst thing you could say, but. …
Linus: I mean in geometry! Is IDK a complement?
Franklin: To who?
Charlie Brown: To IDJ!
Franklin: Do their measures add up to 90 degrees?
Charlie Brown: How the heck would I know that?
Franklin: If they form a right angle, then that ought to tell you something.
Marcie: So you’re saying IDK is a complement?
Franklin: IDK.
Marcie: Well, there’s no need to get obnoxious about it.
Linus withdraws from the conversation, pulling his blanket over his head.
Franklin: I’m not trying to be obnoxious. I’m trying to tell you the angle’s name!
Peppermint Patty: You know the angle’s name?
Franklin: Yes.
Peppermint Patty: Well, then, what is it?
Franklin: IDK.
Charlie Brown: We’re asking about the angle adjacent to IDJ.
Franklin: Yes.
Charlie Brown: And according to the diagram, the name of the angle adjacent to IDJ is …?
Franklin: IDK.
Charlie Brown: Well then, how do we find out what it is?
Franklin: IDK.
Charlie Brown: That’s what I’m asking!
Franklin: Yes.
Charlie Brown: Well go ahead and tell me.
Franklin: IDK.
Peppermint Patty: The angle adjacent to IDJ.
Franklin: IDK.
Charlie Brown: Are you even looking at the diagram?
Franklin: Certainly.
Charlie Brown: And is there an angle adjacent to IDJ?
Franklin: Absolutely!
Charlie Brown: Then what is that “IDK” angle adjacent to IDJ?
Franklin: Now you’re talking.
Peppermint Patty: All I’m trying to find out is WTH is the name of the angle adjacent to IDJ?
Franklin: Oh, no, no. WTH is supplementary to IDJ.
Peppermint Patty: I’m not asking you WTH the supplement is; I’m trying to find the complement to IDJ.
Franklin: Well, don’t start changing the angles around.
Peppermint Patty: I didn’t change anything!
Marcie: Hey, take it easy, sir. I’m trying to help you.
Peppermint Patty: How many times do I have to tell you to tell you my pronouns are she/her!
Marcie: I’m very sorry, sir — I mean, ma’am — 50 years is a long time to break a habit. I’ll keep working on it.
Charlie Brown: So WTH is the name of the angle adjacent to IDJ?
Franklin: WTH is the supplement of IDJ.
Charlie Brown: I don’t know what the supplement is; I’m trying to figure out WTH the complement to IDJ is!
Franklin: IDK.
Charlie Brown: But that’s WTH I’m asking!
Marcie: I think WTH is the supplement.
Peppermint Patty: There you go again, dragging the supplement into this!
Marcie: You’re the one who mentioned it, ma’am!
Peppermint Patty: If I mentioned the supplement’s name, WTH did I say its name is?
Marcie: Yes.
Charlie Brown: The supplement of IDJ — ?
Franklin: WTH
Charlie Brown: IDK, that’s why I’m asking!
Marcie: You’ve got it now — IDK is the complement.
Franklin: Then WTH is the supplement.
Marcie: Yes.
Peppermint Patty: Well then what kind of angle is WTH?
Marcie: Right.
Peppermint Patty: Why are you agreeing with me now? I’m asking you a question!
Marcie: And I’m trying to give you an answer, ma’am! WTH is right.
Peppermint Patty: So how can WTH be right when it’s not a complement to IDJ?
Franklin: WTH is the supplement; IDK is a complement.
Charlie Brown: Good grief.
