THE ISSUE: Whether new methods of teaching math provide sufficient education.
Congratulations to The Post for running Michelle Malkin’s “Fuzzy Math Isn’t Cuddly” (PostOpinion, Nov. 28).
It is a pleasure to read a description of the problems with fuzzy math written by someone who actually understands. I wish there were more written on the subject from Malkins’s accurate perspective.
Many readers are interested in this issue, and many of them are parents who are afraid to speak up to their school boards to protest the bad math programs being implemented for fear of retribution.
Columns such as Malkin’s help give people courage to fight this epidemic.
Thanks to The Post for its coverage – and courage.
Barry Garelick
McLean, Va.
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As a math teacher, I am deeply offended by educrats who use the word “math” to push a non-math curriculum.
The use of “new math” is nothing more than the politically correct practice of dumbing-down the curriculum, mostly to provide the illusion of success to parents and to make schools look good.
The “new math” lacks math. Neither my colleagues nor myself have seen these students obtain a deep understanding of mathematics.
Students who are exposed to the new math have an uphill battle when they reach high school, especially when they take the SATs.
The old computer term GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) is perfectly applicable.
Elio Valenti
Brooklyn
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I live in an Everyday Math district in Pennsylvania, and while scores on our state test, the PSSA, are rising, our SAT scores are dropping.
Our state standards and the PSSA are aligned with constructivist programs like Everyday Math. Even a perfect score on the PSSA does not ensure that a student knows the math that he should at his grade level.
A child could be getting straight As in Everyday Math and still be counting on his fingers.
I have heard Everyday Math referred to as “Every Night Math” because every night parents are teaching their children the math they should be learning in school or driving them to tutoring centers to supplement their education.
Sharon Collopy
Doylestown, Pa.