In the past, a popular book called "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" shed light on the perpetual communication gap between genders. This book became a best-seller and entered the common vocabulary. Linda P. Rosen, an education consultant, referred to this work in her speech titled "Is the Business Community From Mars?". She presented at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ annual meeting to discuss the ongoing divide between corporate America and math teachers when it comes to improving schools.
Recently, business leaders have been expressing a sense of urgency to enhance math and science education in the United States. This is necessary to develop a skilled workforce and stay competitive globally. Ms. Rosen aimed to elucidate the business community’s viewpoint on areas where schools need improvement and encouraged math teachers to collaborate with the private sector instead of dismissing their ideas outright.
Ms. Rosen has experience in both fields, having served as the executive director of the NCTM and as the vice president for education at the National Alliance of Business. Additionally, she was the senior math and science adviser to former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. However, during her presentation, the divide between the K-12 and corporate communities became apparent. Some audience members expressed skepticism regarding business leaders’ ideas for educational improvement.
One teacher questioned whether corporate leaders were too quick to blame schools for job losses instead of acknowledging that some companies resort to outsourcing for cheaper labor. Another teacher argued that these executives lack an understanding of the multitude of demands placed on teachers, such as maintaining discipline and helping struggling students. Nevertheless, some teachers showed support for partnering with the business community, emphasizing a shared goal of improving education.
In order for math teachers to navigate policy-making discussions, Ms. Rosen stressed the need to recognize the influential role the corporate world plays among elected officials. Closing the door on these discussions would be unwise, she cautioned. Instead, teachers should actively participate and contribute their perspectives to shape K-12 policies. Ms. Rosen believes that as a community, teachers need to be serious about the task of informing policy-makers.
The NCTM gathering featured several sessions focusing on the potential benefits of intensive teacher academies held over the summer. These academies aim to enhance the content knowledge of math instructors. One example is the Missouri Elementary Mathematics Leadership Academy, which brought together 86 elementary teachers from across the state for comprehensive lessons on numbers and operations. Unlike other professional development programs, this academy primarily utilizes lessons developed by teachers themselves rather than college faculty members.
The success of last year’s academy has led to a high number of returning teachers for this summer’s program. Approximately two-thirds of participants demonstrated significant progress in their math skills based on a written exam administered at the end of the 2005 academy. The academy received support from a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Although the three-week duration of the academy is intense, Mr. Goodman, a mathematics professor at Central Missouri State University, believes that it is necessary for teachers to achieve significant growth in their skills.
Your task is to paraphrase and enhance the entire text using better vocabulary and natural language, while ensuring the output remains in English. Here is the given text that needs to be rewritten:
"Your objective is to rephrase the entire passage, improving the word choice and using more natural language. The resulting text should be unique and written in English."
