
Image via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
I live in SilÂiÂcon ValÂley, which operÂates on the assumpÂtion that there’s no probÂlem that techÂnolÂoÂgy can’t solve. It sufÂfusÂes our culÂture here, and someÂtimes we pay the price for this techÂnoÂcratÂic utopiÂanism. Case in point: Right now, I’m sendÂing my kid to a pubÂlic school in MounÂtain View, CA–the home of Google–where the adminÂisÂtraÂtors have upendÂed the entire sixth grade math proÂgram. Last August, they abolÂished the traÂdiÂtionÂal math program–you know, where stuÂdents get to sit in a classÂroom and learn from a trained and qualÂiÂfied math teacher. And instead the adminÂisÂtraÂtors asked stuÂdents to learn math mainÂly from a comÂputÂer proÂgram called Teach to One. Run by a venÂture called New ClassÂrooms, Teach to One promisÂes to let each stuÂdent engage in “perÂsonÂalÂized learnÂing,” where a comÂputÂer proÂgram gauges each stuÂdenÂt’s knowlÂedge of math, then conÂtinÂuÂalÂly cusÂtomizes the math eduÂcaÂtion that stuÂdents receive. It all sounds like a great conÂcept. Bill Gates has supÂposÂedÂly called it the “Future of Math EduÂcaÂtion.” But the rub is this: Teach to One doesÂn’t seem ready for the present. And our kids are payÂing the price.
A new artiÂcle feaÂtured in our local paper, The MounÂtain View Voice, outÂlines well the probÂlems that stuÂdents and parÂents have expeÂriÂenced with the Teach to One proÂgram. I would encourÂage any parÂent or eduÂcaÂtor interÂestÂed in the pitÂfalls of these “innoÂvÂaÂtive” math proÂgrams to give the artiÂcle a good look. (Update: The MounÂtain View Voice has done a series of excelÂlent artiÂcles on the Teach to One experÂiÂment in MounÂtain View and all that went wrong. They’re all listÂed below.)
If you read the artiÂcle, here’s what you will learn. The MounÂtain View school disÂtrict apparÂentÂly budÂgetÂed $521,000 to impleÂment and operÂate this new-fanÂgled math proÂgram in two local schools (GraÂham and CritÂtenÂden MidÂdle Schools). Had they adeÂquateÂly beta testÂed the proÂgram beforeÂhand, the school disÂtrict might have disÂcovÂered that Teach to One teachÂes math–we have observed–in a disÂjointÂed, non-linÂear and often erratÂic fashÂion that leaves many stuÂdents bafÂfled and disÂenÂchantÂed with math. The proÂgram conÂtains errors in the math it teachÂes. ParÂents end up havÂing to teach kids math at home and make up for the proÂgram’s defiÂcienÂcies. And all the while, the math teachÂers get essenÂtialÂly relÂeÂgatÂed to “manÂagÂing the [Teach to One] proÂgram rather than to proÂvidÂing direct instrucÂtion” themÂselves.
By OctoÂber, many parÂents startÂed to regÂisÂter indiÂvidÂual comÂplaints with the school disÂtrict. By DecemÂber, 180 parÂents signed a letÂter meticÂuÂlousÂly outÂlinÂing the many probÂlems they found with the Teach to One proÂgram. (You can read that letÂter here.) When the school latÂer conÂductÂed a surÂvey on Teach to One (review it here), 61% of the parÂents “said they do not believe the proÂgram matchÂes the needs of their chilÂdren,” and test scores show that this crop of sixth graders has masÂtered math conÂcepts less well than last year’s. (Note: there was a big decrease in the numÂber of kids who say they love math, and conÂverseÂly a 413% increase in the numÂber of kids who say they hate math.) GivÂen the mediocre evalÂuÂaÂtion, the parÂents have asked for one simÂple thing–the option to let their kids learn math in a traÂdiÂtionÂal setÂting for the remainÂder of the year, until it can be demonÂstratÂed that Teach to One can delivÂer betÂter results. (Teach to One would ideÂalÂly conÂtinÂue as a smallÂer pilot, where the kinks would get worked out.) So far the school disÂtrict, headÂed by AyindĂ© Rudolph, has conÂtinÂued to chamÂpiÂon the Teach to One proÂgram in fineÂly-spun bureauÂcratÂic letÂters that effecÂtiveÂly disÂreÂgard parental conÂcerns and actuÂal data points. But the schools have now agreed to let stuÂdents spend 5o% of their time learnÂing math with Teach to One, and the othÂer 50% learnÂing math from a qualÂiÂfied teacher. Why the impracÂtiÂcal half meaÂsure? I can only specÂuÂlate.
I postÂed this so that interÂestÂed parÂents and eduÂcaÂtors, wherÂevÂer you live, can be pruÂdent and thoughtÂful when it comes to adoptÂing comÂputÂer-driÂven math proÂgrams. PerÂhaps you can learn someÂthing from our cauÂtionÂary tale. Do your research, run a conÂtrolled pilot, and make sure the prodÂuct is actuÂalÂly a good fit for your school. Again, I would encourÂage you to read the fine artiÂcle in The MounÂtain View Voice, the parÂents’ letÂter outÂlinÂing the observed defiÂcienÂcies in the Teach to One proÂgram, and the eye-openÂing surÂvey results on Teach to One.
Update: It was announced on JanÂuÂary 12 that the MounÂtain View will disÂconÂtinÂue the Teach to One math pilot effecÂtive immeÂdiÂateÂly. PatronÂizÂingÂly, New ClassÂrooms has attribÂuted the scrapÂping of the pilot to a comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion probÂlem. “There was a subÂset of parÂents of highÂer-achievÂing stuÂdents who didn’t fulÂly underÂstand how Teach to One operÂatÂed and how much it benÂeÂfitÂed their chilÂdren,” Joel Rose is quotÂed as sayÂing in The Wall Street JourÂnal. Once again, I’d refer you back to the actuÂal data colÂlectÂed by our schools. It speaks for itself.
Great ArtiÂcles by The MounÂtain View Voice: MounÂtain View’s local paper has done some excelÂlent reportÂing on this fiasÂco. I would encourÂage you to read them all.
- ParÂents up in arms over digÂiÂtal math proÂgram
- DisÂtrict abruptÂly drops digÂiÂtal math proÂgram
- Stuck with a half-milÂlion-dolÂlar bill
- Math proÂgram’s flaws hidÂden from school board, pubÂlic
This stoÂry has also received covÂerÂage from The Wall Street JourÂnal and Edsurge.
Update 2019: It sounds like anothÂer Teach-to-One pilot in ElizÂaÂbeth, NJ has its own issues. Read here and here.

