Perhaps the most important, and also the least understood, information that a parent can have relates to the exact information that a student should be learning in their classroom. This is extremely important this year as Florida has adopted new standards in many subjects. For me the New Generation Math Standards should drive my instruction each day. For students and parents, these standards should provide a guide as well.
Really, every parent should expect a teacher to cover all of the concepts listed in these standards, and they should ask questions if they think something is being overlooked. The really cool thing is that these standards are not top-secret. In fact by logging on to http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/FLStandardSearch.aspx anyone on the planet can find out what should be going on in the classroom. Having said that, this does not mean that all children will master all of these standards. Some kids will fly. Some kids will struggle, and most will do both, but at least the standards make the big picture a bit more transparent (not a pun, but it is great for parents). So, please look at these standards often.
Really, every parent should expect a teacher to cover all of the concepts listed in these standards, and they should ask questions if they think something is being overlooked. The really cool thing is that these standards are not top-secret. In fact by logging on to http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/FLStandardSearch.aspx anyone on the planet can find out what should be going on in the classroom. Having said that, this does not mean that all children will master all of these standards. Some kids will fly. Some kids will struggle, and most will do both, but at least the standards make the big picture a bit more transparent (not a pun, but it is great for parents). So, please look at these standards often.
