Letter on Everyday Math

Steve,

I don't know if you have read the Everyday Math thread on LivoniaNeighbors Forum. It's really pretty informative. Anyway, our teachers arenot going to supplement Everday Math with any basic math skills. I thinkthey should. Read this post from Larry Martin on Livonianeighbors.com. Hehas been fighting EM in Plymouth -Canton for 5 years.........

"If they are really being told to "teach from the box", administrationshould be truly ashamed of themselves. During the presentation I saw onyoutube, the speaker said that LPS should adopt EM in part because in worksin P-CCS. They should make a short drive west and ASK how P-CCS isimplementing the program. It is not "from the box".P-CCS has a supplement process. They have been using it for years. Theyknow where the holes are in EM from experience. Why not take advantage ofthose years of experience? I don't know the whole supplement process, but Ido know that teachers consistently use "Mad Minutes" through 4th grade.

I went to a curriculum committee meeting last year when they discussed theMEAP results. They get detailed classroom level data showing what skillsare deficient. P-CCS was deficient in some of the basics and woefully so in division. I have a copy of that document. The Math and Science curriculum director made a big deal about how theyhave been tweaking their supplemental materials and will be doing even more"when the 3rd edition is approved." There wasn't any chance of abandoningEM, though. All it takes is a phone call from Livonia administration to Janet Kahn(P-CCS math and science director) to confirm this. Janet is a staunchdefender of constructivist education, but still understands that EM doesn'twork "from the box".

If there is any doubt, I can scan and forward the documents from last year."I think you should call PCS and look into this. If we are not supplementingfor one year to work out the bugs, it is one year too long for me. It isone year lost for too many kids.