"Egalitarian, Progressive" Math Coming to Seattle High Schools

"New Math," courtesy of Seattlest Flickr Pool member bowdish67

The P-I says that the Seattle school board voted to adopt (4-3) the Key Curriculum Press Discovering Mathematics textbooks series--for algebra, advanced algebra, geometry, pre-calculus and calculus classes across the district. (Statistics classes get an Addison-Wesley textbook.)

KOMO points out that consultants for the state's Department of Education called Discovering the "weakest option" in algebra, geometry and advanced geometry, and "mathematically unsound," even "unacceptable." Of course, it remained their second choice so WTF?

Save Seattle Schools points out a 4-3 vote is an uncomfortably big split on such a decision that will affect a four to eight years' worth of high school students.

The NW Progressive Institute Advocate, far from applauding progressive math, says "the School Board's decision making process has been practically a case study in how not to make an effective curriculum choice."

Maybe the surprise winner here is mayoral candidate Michael McGinn, who's for city control of schools--Cliff Mass sounds serious about regime change when he writes: "It is also time for the community to work to replace several of the hapless Board members, who admittedly ignored a huge number of calls and emails on this issue."

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By MvB in News on May 7, 2009 10:00 AM

Comments [rss]

Seth

I feel like I'm fairly mathematically literate, but I don't think I use any formula beyond, say, cross-multiplying in daily life.

I can see getting after formulas if you intend a career in the sciences, but what the hell is the point of "y=mx+b" and the ilk for the rest of us?

I wish we would've spent the last two years of high school on, say, why you shouldn't apply for a credit card your freshman year of college instead of derivatives and rates of flow and all that calculus that I've long since forgotten and never truly understood.

Troy Morris

I actually agree with you, Seth, in earnest about the need for actual Home Economics.

However, if math isn't taught well and right early, then those who wish to go into sciences are fucked. Same thing goes with foreign languages. Math is a language that needs to be learned early on. Including formulas. I don't remember my formulas, but when I studied for the GRE, it was a hell of a lot easier.

And I would be up shit creek in Excel if it wasn't for a strong math background. The learnings I had in Math, while deeper than needed for Excel, I think without that deeper knowledge, I wouldn't be able to use Excel well enough to have earned my Excel Wizard hat.

Which is an actual Wizard's hat that someone got me for a totally different reason, but I have now turned into a Excel Wizard hat.

ChrisB

Out of curiosity, having been out of the educational rat race for (mumbledy) decades, does anyone have a link or information about why this series is so bad? I've been looking around and haven't seen anything yet.

Troy Morris

People are upset because it spends too much time on investigating and deduction and not enough on formulas. To me, it's the Oreo debate. Is the lard the best or the wafer? Most would say lard, but without the wafer, you're just eating lard.

Troy Morris

Shit got heated and racial last night.

Kim P.

Who knew math geeks had it in them?

Troy Morris

Not me. But that guy was all arrogant. He was "I have this degree and this on my SATs, what was your score? Oh and how'd that potato famine thing work out?" and that's when the Irish lady blew up and was all "People were allowed to starve! It was a result of colonialism!" and then he was all "Your kids will never become Engineers." and I was all in my head "Engineers are annoying."