Letter from Beverly and response from Roberta Silver

The following letter was sent by a very frustrated P-OB parent to the BOE and administration:

To: Martin Brooks; Eileen Hodrinsky; Roberta Silver; Jonathan Mosenson; Debbie Bernstein; Cheryl Dender; Ginger Lieberman; Wendy Richter; Evy Rothman; Cathy Shapp
Subject: I told you so – no more Investigations!

I have to say it – I told you so. Four years ago I spoke at a board meeting, met with Pat Chris and tried to put a stop to this program. There was a petition at that time but on a much smaller scale. I could see what a disaster Investigations would be but no one would listen.

Now the proof is there in the math scores and the hundreds of unhappy parents.

Cut our losses now and do away with this terrible program. The entire state of CA banned this program years ago due to poor math scores but POB still continues to use it despite the embarrassing scores.

We pay way too much in taxes to have mediocre math scores in this town. Nothing you can say will convince me that the program should remain. Return to traditional math, it is proven to work. The parts of Investigations that work for some kids can be integrated in to traditional math.
Stop thinking about how to make the program better and get rid of it!

Beverly

Now read the SHOCKING response by Roberta Silver, the P-OB Math Chairperson:

Since nothing I can say will convince you, I just want to rebut one statement you made: Traditional math education does not work. The vast majority of people in this country, who were educated in the traditional way, do not understand Mathematics, even if they do know their times table (which many of them, educated traditionally, do not!). Graduate school Mathematics programs are filled with Asians and Russians, and almost no Americans. The reform movement was developed in an effort to correct that. Bottom line is we have to do something better than traditional Math in this country, or all careers involving Math will be out-sourced. Roberta Silver Plainview – Old Bethpage Math Chairperson