High School Math Book Divides Parents

Phyllis Fletcher
05/07/2009

The Seattle School Board has decided to buy new math books for Seattle high school students. The books are called "Discovering Mathematics." The district hopes the books will help improve the 50 percent pass rate on the standardized math test for 10th–graders. But most parents who spoke at last night's (Wednesday) school board meeting have no faith in the books.

It was a night for people to flash their credentials.

Nichols: "I'm a former National Merit Scholar."

To say, "I know something about math. So my opinion is valid."

Nichols: "What was your SAT score? "

Brandon Nichols is dead–set against "Discovering Mathematics." He says it relies too much on figuring things out through a process of inquiry. It's something detractors call reform math.

The person he was taunting about SAT scores is Katherine Costello. Nichols and Costello each have two kids in Seattle Public Schools. Costello was the only parent to speak publicly in favor of the new books. She's a fan of reform math for her kids.

Costello: "I think that it holds and engages them more deeply than the traditional math would have. And if we spend all our time in skills and drills, they don't get the time to develop the higher level thinking."

Brandon Nichols listened in and apparently noticed her accent because a couple minutes later, he said ...

Nichols: "Ireland, there's a technological superpower we ought to emulate."

And, to make sure he got her upset, he brought up the greatest tragedy in Irish history.

Nichols: "I'm very sorry about that potato famine thing. It's ..."

Costello: "People were allowed to starve. It's a result of colonialism."

And, a couple minutes after that, another parent told Costello her kids will never be engineers, thanks to reform math.

Unfortunately, none of this arguing is a surprise to Anna–Maria de la Fuente. She works for the district, and she put together the committee that chose "Discovering Mathematics." She's been the target of people's math passion for weeks.

de la Fuente: "I'm also not surprised because there's so much pain around mathematics. A lot of people have had really poor experiences with it, or they've seen their child have poor experiences. People are so afraid of not doing well or afraid their children are not going to do well and that's a legitimate concern for every parent."

Some parents who spoke at the meeting said inquiry–based math has been a disaster for elementary students. That the district promised a more traditional math book as a supplement but it never came.

Brandon Nichols says he's going to try to recall the school board member who represents his neighborhood because he voted for the new book. And he says he might move to Edmonds because they have better math books there.

"Discovering Mathematics" will be the new textbooks in Seattle Public high schools starting next school year. Phyllis Fletcher, KUOW News.

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