Coalition for Glen Cove

 

Minutes
Monday, February 2, 2004, 7:30 PM
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Our guest speaker was Ira Cooper, Coordinator of Mathematics.  Mr. Cooper comes to the Glen Cove School District from his position as Mathematics AP at a Long Island City High School.  He is applying his expertise and experience as a teacher and administrator to address the specific issues and concerns of our Glen Cove K - 12 students.  Mr. Cooper's first challenge was to overhaul the district math curriculum, updating it to meet the needs of our students and the demands of the state assessments.  In recognition that there was too much repetition in our curriculum from year to year, our program was "compressed"  to challenge our students and prepare them to successfully pursue mathematics through their high school years.  Mr. Cooper expressed a need to bring our math classes alive by helping our teachers to find ways to inspire our students by showing them how it applies to their lives. "We are changing how we teach as well as what we teach."  Students who need extra help will be given AIS Instruction and those that are ready to move on to new concepts will be able to progress at a faster pace.  All students are expected to complete Regents Level Math so the demands on teachers are greater than in the past.  They must find ways to teach which will work for all ability levels so that everyone can be successful.

In addition to raising the percentage of students receiving a 3 or 4 on the 4th and 8th grade assessments, Mr. Cooper hopes to build interest in both a Middle School and High School Math Club.  Another goal is to send a group of Middle Students to the Long Island Math Fair.  Mr. Cooper would also like to initiate activities at the Middle School which would expand the students' knowledge of math by sharing projects and celebrating "Pi" Day each year.

Helen Kotzky