Ridgewood hires consultant to quell math concerns
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Ridgewood hires consultant to quell math concerns
Monday, June 25, 2007
By EVONNE COUTROS, STAFF WRITER
RIDGEWOOD -- The Board of Education has hired a conflict resolution
consultant in a bid to quell concerns of parents who question the
methods being used to teach math to grade-school students.
Beth Fisher-Yoshida, the associate director of the International
Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Teachers College,
Columbia University, will be paid up to $9,000 by the district.
Fisher-Yoshida will be on hand when groups of parents and educators
meet through the fall in what the district said will be communitywide
outreach.
The goal is to "facilitate the dialogue process," Fisher-Yoshida said,
"so people can have constructive conversation."
The effort follows the controversy over the school board's choice of
Long Island educator Martin Brooks, viewed as a proponent of
constructivist math, as the new superintendent.
The board blamed Brooks' decision to pull out of the job earlier this
month on the hostile reception by some residents to his hiring.
The district's math program has inspired critical blogs and newspaper
ads as some parents challenge the use of so-called reform math.
Margy Leininger, Travell Elementary School principal, said she is
pleased Fisher-Yoshida has been hired.
"I hope that she will help us work through the process of looking at
and reflecting on our math practice," Leininger said.
Two parents from each of the six elementary and two middle schools
will participate in the first leg of the conflict-resolution meetings
with the goal of identifying concerns about the K-8 math program as
well as strengths. In the fall, each group may grow to 12 to 16
people.
Ines Bunza, president of Federated Home and School Association, said
Fisher-Yoshida is needed because the math curriculum issue is
controversial.
"It was a wise decision to hire a mediator to facilitate discussion
among parents in a respectful, professional manner," Bunza said.
Leininger said Travell teachers and district administrators began to
tackle the math debate in the fall of 2006.
"We had talks in September with parents at each grade level about all
subjects, including math," she said.
Parental concerns included confusing math homework, and not enough
math homework. "Particularly in the areas of [basic] math facts, such
as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division worksheets,"
Leininger said.
"In the winter, we had a lunchtime and evening math presentation for
parents to explain math investigations," she said, referring to
Investigations in Number, Data and Space, also known as the TERC
curriculum.
The curriculum involves more problem solving than basic worksheets,
Leininger said, but she added that the worksheets will never be
abandoned.
"We continue to work with kids and drill them on math facts," she
said. "The math fact exercises are at least 25 problems on a page."
Deborah L. Ives, former president of the Association of Mathematics
Teachers of New Jer- sey and the Grades 6-12 mathematics supervisor of
the Ridgewood district, said review and revision of standards takes
place in every state on a regular schedule.
"We're constantly trying to fine-tune the standards, and keep them up-
to-date," she said.
"Standards will have no 'final' revision, as the standards will never
be stagnant or carved in stone," she said. "They will continually be
refined -- that is one of their strengths -- not to unalterably be
tied to the past."
A preliminary meeting was held with parents last week and as the
discussions continue, some high school students may be included, Bunza
said.
Parents may access the district Web site, which simplifies and lists
the state mandated requirements and gives information on school tests.
It offers numerous samples of math problems for each grade.
E-mail: cou...@northjersey.com