NYC
Honest Open Logical Debate (NYC HOLD)
On
Math Reform
Elizabeth Carson Christine Larson, Co-Founders
Phone:
212.529.1302 Fax:
212.529.0062 E-Mail: carchu@msn.com
Honorable Eva Moskowitz
Fourth District- Manhattan
Attn: Tiffany Lacker, Legislative Aide
Re: Letter to Community School Board #2 President
Karen Feuer
BY E-MAIL
Council Member Moskowitz,
We are heartened by, and wish to thank you very much for your
endorsement of a CSB #2 sponsored math forum for parents, expressed in your letter to Ms Feuer, dated
December 19, 2000.
As you are aware, the board originally made a most honorable commitment
to the parents in District 2 to host a math forum on their behalf, where
parents would have the opportunity to become informed on the views held by both
math educators and mathematicians regarding the new math programs our district
is implementing. The board accurately assessed the need for a forum affording
an opportunity for parents to share their views and pose questions regarding
our programs to a
panel of experts of differing opinions, reflecting the range of
views conveyed in the national discussions the math reform has inspired. The
fundamental goal of the forum was to educate and support parent engagement, to
lay a foundation for parents to actively and productively contribute to the
development of mathematics education for their children.
As you know, many of the board members have now rescinded their
original commitment to those goals evidenced in a motion and deliberations to
cancel the forum, presently still scheduled for
In the interim, our children continue to receive a weak, unbalanced and
seriously compromised math education.
Steps have been outlined by our Interim Acting Superintendent Shelley
Harwayne for how she plans to initiate a comprehensive investigation of the
current state of math
education across the district:
·
Classroom
walkthroughs
·
Visits to
school based math nights
·
Math curricular
discussions at meetings with principals
·
Appointment of
a parent educator for the
·
Implementation
of math mini-lessons
·
Recommend scheduling of math classes in morning sessions, five times per
week
·
Look into
extended day math classes
·
Strategies to
evaluate programs and implementation
1. investigate how and at what points standard procedures
(algorithms) are being taught
2. assess program alignment with city and state standardized
tests student performance indicators
3. assess the need for supplementation and current levels and
kinds of supplementation of the programs initiated by staff across grades and
schools
4. assess the extent to which students are receiving outside
tutoring provided by parents and the qualities of the tutoring
5. consult with the director of mathematics to assess the
correlation between student test performance and the level of training teachers
have received
6. investigate language issues the programs raise, most relevant
to English language learners
·
Visit math
classrooms outside District 2 in NYC and NYS; suggested District 26 might be
good starting point
Though details of how Interim Superintendent Harwayne’s goals shall be
expedited are sketchy, it appears to us that there is great opportunity for
parent and teacher involvement in her research and development; and that the
forum is not inconsistent with her plans, nor would the event conflict with or
denigrate her efforts. Quite the contrary, both the planned district wide
survey of parents and the presentations and discussions at the forum itself
would serve to inform her research in many of the focus areas she has
identified.
You interest and support are greatly
appreciated by the parents in CSD #2.
Best regards,
Elizabeth Carson
Christine Larson
Cc: Steering Committee Members, NYC HOLD
CSB #2
Acting Superintendent
Shelley Harwayne
Chancellor Harold Levy
Dr Judith Rizzo
Dr Irving Hamer
Trudy Irwin