Ever wonder why your child never seems to be retaining anything from the Everyday Math program? Its because the students never get an opportunity to learn to mastery, leaving them to figure out simple operations on their own every time they do a problem. Being fluent in basic procedures frees up a students mind to tackle more advanced problems. This is why this program fails students by the time they start middle school. If your middle schooler is struggling with basic operations they will always struggle with math until they master basic operations. -Nik StoufferWhen comments like the one above are the rule and not the exception in regard to your child's elementary school, you are left to wonder how it could have been in place for SEVEN years with no real end in sight.
There has been much discussion about transparency surrounding our K-5 mathematics curriculum choice, review, and communication. In an effort to keep the information out in the open, and not on yellow cards, or being silenced at public meetings, you will begin to see letters to the district and board being published here and a few other places. Where applicable responses will be included from the district and/or board. Names will be withheld, unless people have specified otherwise.
The letters date back for years, and have evidently fallen on deaf ears. Or rather, have been ignored because our testing numbers didn't need a change.
November 11, 2014
The RTSD School Board & Superintendant,
We strongly believe that Everyday Math is failing our children. With each passing day our children, and all K-5 Radnor students using Everyday Math, are being left behind. We are willing and prepared to do whatever we have to do to make this change happen immediately.
As many of us have said to teachers, principals, and the school board, gifted and math-talented students are being left behind with Everyday Math. It leaves our children with fewer peers on their level. As well, Every Parent we’ve heard from with a struggling math learner hates Everyday Math. So many of us have found enrichment opportunities on our own, we’ve paid for supplemental materials, tutors and learning centers with our time and money so that our children can excel in mathematics. This program is universally frustrating.
As we’ve stated to the board in the past, Radnor is the last district among all of its peers in the Philadelphia Metro area to be using Everyday Math. These schools and many more already dispensed with it: T/E, Great Valley, Wallingford-Swarthmore, Haverford, Penn Charter, Episcopal Academy, Shipley, Westtown. It’s time we join them in dumping Everyday Math.
As far as test scores, our scores do not reflect the time/money and effort on the part of the parents and students to supplement and remediate this program's inherent weaknesses. Furthermore we reject the notion that teaching 7-10 year olds basic arithmetic requires hours at night with the use of multiple computer-based practice programs and worksheets from three, four and five different sources. The lack of a proper textbook is a yet another key drawback of Everyday Math.
While it’s the parents of elementary school who are most vocal on this matter, it is also important to note how our mediocre math program at RTSD and the low priority it has been given by the board and administration hurts all parents, students, teachers, taxpayers and homeowners.
So let’s come together to make this change happen. We know you’ve all heard this before, and we’d like to bring the battle to a close, everyone knows that dumping Everyday Math is the right choice for Radnor, now let’s start putting our energies into finding the right program. Let’s work to be a part of Radnor’s Tradition of Excellence. Please contact us with any questions or information you may have. We thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Concerned & Informed Parent
