I suspect that many parents in Fayette wonder what all this

fuss is about because their children, too, are getting

A s and B s in math. Yet a number of parents have

indicated that their children have been asked to repeat various

Chicago courses even when they earned B s 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: [email protected] 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

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