Mr.Harold Levy,
Chancellor,
New York City Board of Education
Sir,
I urge you to take the time to read the letters enclosed here, and note particularly the dates of their despatch. I send them to you because I have not yet had any response from any among those to whom I addressed them in the first place, and because it just may be that you will find time, and feel the inclination, to exercise your authority to assist me.
For see what I have been asking for; answers to questions such as on what basis and whose authority was the TERC curriculum adopted in District 2? Where exactly can those interested find the evidence so often cited in support of TERC by the District 2 Math Development person? What is being done to ensure that any children who fail to learn math under the TERC system will receive remedial help?
And let me add this point; I have been very seriously and sadly dismayed to find, at all levels, obstruction, resistance, and even scorn by way of response to what are reasonable questions. In some cases I have been privately assured by teachers that they too would like to see TERC supplemented with something like traditional computational knowledge, and skills, but in each instance they have also told me that they dare not speak openly against the District mandated curriculum. But surely this is unconscionable as well as indefensible.
Can nothing be done about this? For surely so long as teachers are afraid to speak out about what they believe is in the best interests of our children, we cannot begin to improve our schools.
I can assure you of my best wishes in your difficult job; but I should like to think that parents and those like me have not only your sympathy, but your power too, working in our behalf.
Yours sincerely,
Garry Dobbins