A parent's letter about Everyday Math

Dear Parent Pundit:

You have a great web site.  I posted a response to your January 25^th article previously. My son went through his first year of EM last year (4^th grade, Springfield Public Schools Springfield, MO) with miserable results. I got him supplemental traditional math material and worked nearly every weekday for an hour or two all summer with him just to make up for the EM mess. He currently does Saxon Math 5/6 in parallel to his EM at school. He does 3 or 4 lessons a week.

As my post says, going into 4^th grade (prior to any exposure to EM) he tested out in the top 70% nationally (above his grade level). At the end of 4^th grade he had dropped to below 40% nationally and tested out at second month 4^th grade equivalency level. After this summer working like crazy to catch up, drills etc., he is back in the top 65% and in the first week of fifth grade tested out at 6^th month 5^th grader capability. It burns me up that his accomplishment will be used as evidence EM is working great at educating our kids.

I have written letters to my local newspaper that have been published. They even interviewed me and did a front page article that was fairly balanced. On the heals of that article, however, they published another half page response that basically called me and anybody that was against EM a kook. I have pretty much given up the fight locally. With a full time job, domestic duties, and teaching my son Saxon I am worn out. Honestly it’s amazing the lack of outrage, or for that matter even interest, parents have in this community with regard to EM. Perhaps it will take five or six years before it sinks in what the damage is.

Thanks for publishing your web site. I enjoy it.

Regards,

Stewart

Comments

[Nancy Peske]

How did the principal respond when you spoke to him/her about EM? Do you know of other parents whose children are struggling with EM at the school?
I feel extremely fortunate that my principal listened and felt that while it's good that I'm double-teaching my son, too (I've been using an old Houghton Mifflin book from the 80s) of course first, the district has to think about all the kids and second, it's patently unfair to put a parent and child in this position of having to supplement with a second curriculum!
Ask around--maybe another parent can take up the fight in your school and district? You are working too hard to give your child a quality math education and it is not right!