Numbers Game

NEA Today, Apr 2006 by Hiraoka, Leona

I love math, always have. Much of this was spurred on by Mr. Walfred Lester, one of my high school teachers who, in the decades since, went on to become an award-winning calculus teacher (this from my mom, who sent a clip from our hometown paper). There's a beauty to numbers, the way they come together and tell their own story. * Convert them into salary figures, and you get a good picture of how much society truly values a profession (see page 40). Convert them into student account numbers, and you get better ways for school cafeteria staff to serve up nutritious meals (see page 34). * But as educators know, especially in this day of the No Child Left Behind law, numbers can be misused and deceptive. Just look at the overemphasis on test scores and adequate yearly progress figures, and the lack of attention on education funding (see page 29). * That's why NEA Today finds the stories behind the numbers. We'll give you AYP figures-but we'll also tell you why they're driving Illinois second-grade teacher Cheryl Chapman out of the profession. We've got numbers, and we need your stones to bring the reality of NCLB alive. * Check in at www.neatoday.org, or e-mail us at neatoday@nea.org.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR LEONA HIRAOKA