Letter to Linda McQuillen

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Dear Ms. McQuillen,

As the parent of two children in the district, I want to let you know that your recent comments about District parents were unappreciated and uninformed.  Many parents, myself included, are disturbed by the curriculum changes in math.  This is not because we don't understand math education, rather we do.  There are many informed voices that are arguing against the adoption of whole math programs like Connected Math and Core+, among them UW professor Richard Askey, R. James Milgram of Stanford University, Lawrence Gray at the University of Minnesota and more than 200 mathematicians, scientists, four Nobel laureates in physics and two winners of the Fields Medal, the highest honor for mathematicians.  Consider this evaluation of CMP from Professor Wayne Bishop "With regard to mathematics content, this program does not sufficiently address the content standards and applicable evaluation criteria to be recommended...."  Furthermore, the research that is emerging  finds that students in these types of programs are less prepared for higher level mathematics than their peers who have received a traditional math education.  I would propose that this is why we parents are upset with the direction that math education is going in this District.  Perhaps you need to do some research of your own before you make sweeping generalizations about parents of children in the Madison schools.

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