School board buys new math materials

McCOOK, Neb. — It’s no longer a one-size-fits-all when it comes to teaching math.

That’s because today’s teachers use different strategies, collaborating with other teachers and spending more with students if needed, so students don’t get overwhelmed, said a McCook Schools administrator.

The McCook Board of Education unanimously approved Monday night spending up to $190,000 in new math materials for the school district, after hearing a presentation from the district’s curriculum director.

The materials will be more “challenging” but that’s usually the case with any new books, said Joel Bender, Curriculum Director/Central Elementary principal. “It’s more rigorous than what we’re used to but I’d rather have it this way than too easy,” Bender said. The materials match up with current state standards and will get students up to grade level.

The purchase includes $141,198 for kindergarten through sixth grade, from Great Minds/Eureka; $9,294 for Common Core high school Algebra 1 and 2 and geometry, from Cenage Learning; and $38,102 for Common Core for the junior high, Cenage Learning. The purchase includes books, workbooks and six years of online programs such as student/teacher/parent support and enhanced resource packages.

Board member Loretta Hauxwell pointed out that the Common Core math for the junior and senior high includes only the material and not the curriculum of Common Core. Bednar agreed, saying the material matches with what teachers are currently teaching and that it will be the same book teachers have used the past seven years, only updated. Selected materials will be used to support current standards used by teachers, he said.

Superintendent Grant Norgaard added that teachers in the McCook School District come up with their own curriculum, or how subjects are taught and while the new materials may be challenging, it won’t be frustrating for students.

Hauxwell also said that she liked how some materials were strong in applying math in real life, such as in cooking, water volume or running laps. She relayed a concern from one parent who questioned at what point in high school do all students have to continue being grade-level proficient.

Board member Tom Bredvick asked if online support for parents will be easy to access and Bednar said that information will be readily available through newsletters, teachers and on the school’s website.

The process in choosing the new material was a five-staged process, Bednar told the board, that included bringing in three to four different companies, teachers going through the materials, hearing presentations from companies and then narrowing it down to materials that aligned with the school district’s curriculum and state standards.

Molly Sharp, fourth-grade teacher, also spoke to the board about the new math materials, with those purchased for the elementary grades created by teachers and involving different learning strategies for students. There were also great resources for parents, she said, such as YouTube channels and “scripts” that make it easier to send homework to students who missed days of school.

Also Monday night, the board unanimously approved the $1,000 donation from Nancy Miller for winter clothing for students in need. McCook Public School Business Manager Jeff Gross said the funds would be put into the school district’s Activities account and principals and teachers could request the money on an as-needed basis. Superintendent Grant Norgaard said there are always students in the district who need extra winter clothing, especially hats and gloves.