Letters from Our Readers

I am writing to thank Meg Harris for the outstanding job she did conveying just exactly the depth of concern that parents in Fayette county have with the Chicago Math programs. Not only has she conveyed her first hand experience with comparing traditional vs. nontraditional math texts, she has touched on several very important truths about Chicago math and the legacy being dealt to Fayette children.

Meg mentioned that her son seemed to be doing okay with the U. of C. Algebra I text, as reflected by his grade reports, and yet his understanding of Algebra was not at all comprehensive or consistent.

I suspect that many parents in Fayette wonder what all this fuss is about because their children, too, are getting As and Bs in math. Yet a number of parents have indicated that their children have been asked to repeat various Chicago courses even when they earned Bs in the class because the students' comprehension of the material was not sufficient to allow them to proceed to the next level.

The question becomes not what grade average is your child maintaining in math, but what level of comprehension of mathematics does your child possess, and to what extent is he or she proficient in math skills.

One of the University of Chicago,s greatest claims is that their program gives children a much broader exposure to math concepts, and does so at an earlier age than had previously been deemed appropriate.

Many parents are lulled in to a false sense of security because they are impressed that their third and fourth graders are dabbling in Geometry and pre-Algebraic equation. Sadly, though, dabbling is as far as it goes.

What good does it do to present advanced concepts if the children are not learning the material? Many critics of Chicago math argue that even in middle and high school, the content is shallow and mastery of concepts eludes far too many students.

It has been said that, "American math education is a mile wide and an inch deep." As soon as the phrase was uttered, it became the mantra of opponents of math reform products such as "Everyday Math." This hits at the heart of the "math war" debate.

Content rich, in-depth coverage of mathematical concepts, complete with practice of concepts, and appropriate review has been summarily replaced by superficial coverage of an overly broad spectrum of topics. And add to that, these children are expected to "teach" themselves.

The fact that Meg's son scored in the 90th percentile on the ITBS in math, yet still missed so much when the Chicago text was compared with the more traditional program should raise a red flag for us all.

The Chicago programs are geared to the top 20 percent of students. Many actually consider Chicago math a program for gifted kids. So, not only are we failing to address the academic needs of over three-fourths of the student population with this program, even the top performers in math are coming up short.

Many educators believe that once parents become "educated" about new math, there will no longer be a math problem. Fayette county parents are educated. We know when something is amiss.

What the Concerned Parents group would like to see is a more "customer oriented" system. As taxpayers we fund the system; our children are the consumers. Where do we, as parents, fit into the equation?

The oldest group in the Fayette Public School System to have participated in the Chicago math program since it was first implemented has just entered ninth grade. What we are seeing may just be the tip of the iceberg.

What do our children really know? If we took these A and B students in Chicago math and immersed them in a content rich program, such as Saxon, as Meg Harris did over the summer with her child, how would these students fare? Do we dare to take such a bold approach? Can we afford not to?

If you would like to join the Concerned Parents for a Better Fayette Education group, or message us your views, please e-mail to: tdrptc@bellsouth.net or write to the address listed below.

The Concerned Parents will hold their next meeting on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Fayette County Public Library located behind the County Complex at Ga. highways 54 and 85 in Fayetteville. We will also be addressing our concerns at the Board of Education meeting on Sept. 21.

Amy Riley
146 Ardenlee
Peachtree City, GA 30269