U of L’s Math Preparation of Elementary School Teachers Faulted

USA Today reports in “Teachers’ schools flunk math prep,” that a new study on the education of elementary school teachers gives generally unsatisfactory grades to education school programs around the country.

The report, “No Common Denominator, The Preparation of Elementary Teachers in Mathematics by America’s Education Schools” only includes one Kentucky education school, the University of Louisville, one of Kentucky’s most selective colleges. As a selective school, you would hope the U of L would be at the top of the heap in any sort of education school analysis; however, that isn’t the case. U of L got an unsatisfactory score for its preparation of elementary education teachers due to inadequate math course offerings (page 32).

Since the U of L does not pass muster, chances are slim that other education schools in this state are doing any better.

A lot of people in this state are shocked to learn something that has been a hot topic in legislative discussions: Kentucky only requires one math course for elementary school teachers – something called “elementary math,” which is taught below the level of college algebra. I have said for a long time that this isn’t adequate. Now, other, better informed voices are echoing that concern.

The people in charge of educating Kentucky’s school teachers need to spend some serious time with the No Common Denominator report. Our kids deserve no less.