Dear Parent Pundit:
You have a great web site. I posted a response to your January 25th article previously. My son went through his first year of EM last year (4th 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 4th grade (prior to any exposure to EM) he tested out in the top 70% nationally (above his grade level). At the end of 4th grade he had dropped to below 40% nationally and tested out at second month 4th 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 6th month 5th 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
