Letters to the Editor
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‘Texas Challenges City on Math’
I am very happy to see that the New York Sun ran a front-page story about Texas’ challenge of Everyday Math [Front Page, “Texas Challenges City on Math,” November 20, 2007].
To my knowledge, the New York Sun is one of the few papers in the country that has covered this development. Given that Everyday Math commands a 20% market share of textbooks for K–6, Texas’ decision is an important one.
The Everyday Math program does not cover math well and certainly does not pursue mastery of the material as other programs do such as Saxon, or Singapore’s math program.
By placing this story on the front page, the New York Sun has done a great service and perhaps the story will be viewed as a long overdue wake up call to the educational damage such dangerously lacking programs have caused to our children.
BARRY GARELICK
National Advisor
NYC HOLD
McLean, Va.
Kudos for covering the important story of the Texas Board of Education rejecting Everyday Math, Grade 3 for its schools [Front Page, “Texas Challenges City on Math,” November 20, 2007].
I have lived through Everyday Math with three children who are now in high school and beyond.
In my community, students flock in huge numbers to Kumon Math or other tutoring services because of the deficiencies in Everyday Math. Everyday Math and other Reform Math or Standards Based Math curricula have done a woeful job of preparing students with a sound math education.
Students who are taught by these curricula are typically calculator-dependent, and unable to perform basic math functions because they are deemphasized.
Greater emphasis must be placed on making math fun and expecting the students to discover how to solve math problems on their own. This topic needs more exposure across the country if we are to produce well-educated students capable of competing in our global world. Thanks for drawing attention to it.
MARGUERITE BLISS
St. Louis, Mo.
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