Educating All Parents To Ensure The Future Of Our Republic

Alpine District Superintendent call parents "extremists" for wanting times tables taught in Elementary Schools

4/21/07

After Orem City starting the process of breaking away from Alpine School District, ASD officials requested a monthly "let's build better relationships" meeting. At the meeting a couple weeks ago, I have been given a copy of the audio segment where Superintendent Vern Henshaw calls parents extremists for our efforts to get basic math facts back into the schools.

Listen to the audio by clicking this link (for MUCH better quality download this file by right-clicking and saving the file to your hard drive). Here are the key time points if you want to just hear the highlights:

4:30 Vern calls parents extremists and has personally spoken with them (we have never spoken about math so I guess he's talking about someone else :) )
7:50 Math scores have gone up every year because of Investigations (no credit for parents teaching basics at home)
8:17 FINALLY they acknowledge that Investigations didn’t fully match the state core...7 years late...who correlated it in the first place?
9:18 Not certain who's talking here but I think it's Debbie Taylor the new board president. She states a teacher asked her “why did you back down, Investigations was the best thing that ever happened to me as a teacher?” (Why? Because you no longer had to teach difficult concepts like long division and division by fractions?)
9:28 Vern Henshaw in the very soft voice says, "This is not about ________(unintelligible) this is more about parents than kids. The kids do just fine." What exactly does that mean Vern? Kids really don't need the times tables and it's only to satisfy parents that you've brought them back? Click here to hear a digital enhancement of this segment.

You may read my letter to the Orem city mayor and council by clicking here. You should also note in my letter the refusal of Vern Henshaw to cooperate in distributing the "In God We Trust" posters to district teachers because the word "Republic" is present on the poster. Vern believes America is a Democracy and is against the use of the word Republic. It's toward the end of my letter.

Please feel free to spread the news far and wide and I encourage you to call for Vern Henshaw's resignation for having no respect for parents who want basic math facts taught to their children and no respect for our constitution that guarantees a republican form of government. This should encourage the voucher movement and the move to split school districts down to size and reign in the power they wield over families in their districts. You may contact the following people and organizations:

1) Orem City Council and Mayor - How do you Friends of Orem School District like being called Extremists?
http://www.orem.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=297&Itemid=281

2) Alpine School Board and Superintendent - only if you really want to. They will stand by their man to the bitter end which is coming...
http://www.alpine.k12.ut.us/phpApps/html/boardFeedback/boardFeedback.html

3) State School Board (encourage them to pass the measure to split districts over 30,000 students and help bring more local control to schools)
http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/board/1members.htm

4) Legislators--Feel free to email all you know and tell your own representative and senator that you are a constituent. This is exactly why so many parents have moved toward supporting vouchers and legislators should know how you feel about what's happening.

Representatives
http://www.le.utah.gov/house/members2005/membertable1add.asp

Senators
http://se15.utahsenate.org/perl/spage/roster2007.pl

5) Governor
http://www.utah.gov/governor/contact.html

First Lady
http://www.utah.gov/firstlady/request.html

6) Press --Letters to the editor must include your full name, address, and phone number and should be 250 words or less.  Anonymous letters are discarded.

Daily Herald dhletters@heraldextra.com

Deseret News letters@desnews.com

Salt Lake Tribune letters@sltrib.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investigations Math Menu

** Most important pages to read (all have value but if you will only read a few pages make it these)
* Very important

Research and Information Press Coverage

THE PETITION TO REMOVE INVESTIGATIONS MATH** (OVER 5% of ASD represented--still ignored by ASD)

MASTER SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION**

Math With Madeline Video

All Weekly Email Updates **

Edspresso Article on WMD Comics

Weapons of Math Destruction Comics**

What Can You Do About Fuzzy Math in Your Area - 13 Ideas**

Brain Programming

ASD's Saxon Math Deception
Part 2 of the Deception

4/21/07 ASD Superintendent Calls Parents Extremists (for wanting the times tables in schools)

Alpine School District Residents Should Choose Saxon Math

9/13/06 Dual Enrollment Guidelines - Opting Out of Math or Other Classes

9/2/06 Jaime Escalante and NCTM Standards**

9/2/06 Amber Lee's Independent Research

The Math Story (ie. How I Got Started)

7/31/06 Educators Ignore Project Follow-Through**

7/26/06 Comparison of Alpine to Nebo and Provo Districts and comments on Orem City Breaking Off **

3/30/06 Utah Public Radio Broadcast with David Wright and Damon Bahr* (Right-Click and use Save As to download)

Insane Supplementary Materials Compound Investigations Math Nightmare**

Map of ASD Precincts and Election information- You must register to run by 3/17

3/2/06 David Wright's Mathematician Petition to the State of Utah*

2/14/06 Why are Charter School Scores Better than Alpine School District's?*

2/14/06 Alpine School District IOWA Test Math Scores

10 Myths About Math Education and Why You Shouldn't Believe Them

2/1/06 The Case for Utah adopting California's Math Standards-Testimony to Utah Congress**

1/10/06 School Board Meeting challenge to find just one valid study by 1/31/06 ** (I'm still waiting)

Math Tutors in Utah (find one/list one)

11/9/05 Update - How ASD is failing more children each year**

ASD's statement to teachers authorizing them to teach traditional math without fear of repercussion

California Study showing tripling of scores for schools that left constructivist math and implemented Saxon Math**

10/31/05 Petition Maps (see where people are signing the petition-blue dots are schools, red are petitions)

How About Grades 6-12 Connected and Interactive Math?**

Raising Critical Thinking Skills*

Pro-Investigations websites (for anyone interested)

8/15/05 Update (compares Alpine to other districts and charter schools) *

7/29/05 Update (resources given to ASD, sample problems, ASD vs. Nebo School District) *

Investigations Math Origins and Articles*

Math Programs Compared ("Traditional", Investigations, Saxon)

Supplementing your Public School Student's Education**

The California Investigations Math Failure**

Community comments - both Pro/Anti Investigations **

Investigations Math Poll Introduction and Question Summary*

 

Additional articles are covered in weekly updates since April 2007

Victory in Utah - State to Revamp Standards (11/16/06)

Major Breaking News...NCTM does a 180 after 17 years of destroying math in America

It must really irritate the folks at Alpine School District (ASD) who have taken to calling all my work "biased and flawed" to have such no-name disreputable organizations pandering to my lies. The legacy of ASD will be the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of students unable to obtain a technical higher education degree.

4/25/07 Provo Daily Herald - Math petitioners called 'extremists' in Alpine District

4/24/07 Deseret News Article - So how many different programs are appropriate to use at one time Mr. Henshaw?

3/1/07 - Deseret News - Schools' grades mixed - Utah system rated by U.S. Chamber in a new report

2/14/07 Provo Daily Herald - Committee makes math program suggestions for Alpine: Many in district pine for 'Investigations'

2/14/07 Deseret News - Alpine seeking balance in math

2/12/07 Deseret News - Math Program Deleted - Alpine District dumps controversial approach

11/16/06 Deseret News - State leaders support math overhaul for schools

11/16/06 Salt Lake Tribune - Utah's 'fuzzy math' curriculum scrapped; legislators endorse plan to revamp state standards

11/15/06 New York Times - As Math Scores Lag, a New Push for the Basics

10/29/06 Provo Daily Herald - Survey: Math Program Doesn't Add Up

10/25/06 Deseret News - Students decline at 5 Utah colleges

10/19/06 Deseret News - Math learning is shallow in U.S., professor says

10/19/06 Deseret News - Math in Utah — 'fuzzy' or A-OK?

10/06 Salt Lake Tribune - Bad marks for Utah's schools

10/9/06 BYU NewsNet - Alpine School District Under Attack

9/30/06 Provo Daily Herald - Districts evaluate 'failures' in testing

9/29/06 Provo Daily Herald - Utah schools receive progress rankings

9/26/06 Townhall.com - Parents Know the Right Equation for Teaching Math - by Phyllis Schafly

9/12/06 Wall Street Journal - New Report Urges Return to Basics In Teaching Math

9/6/06 Provo Daily Herald - Parent suggests Alpine district be responsive

8/28/06 Provo Daily Herald - Alpine readies to let schools choose curriculum for math (be sure to check out the comments section)

8/26/06 Provo Daily Herald - Charter schools attract parents concerned about public education

7/29/06 Deseret News - Burned-out teachers problematic

7/26/06 Deseret News - Most favor creation of small school districts

5/28/06 Salt Lake Tribune - Alpine School District relents and will change its math offerings***

5/26/06 Deseret News - Alpine opts for choice in its math programs***

5/25/06 Provo Daily Herald - District Reviews Math Options***

5/23/06 - Provo Daily Herald -Orem OKs feasibility study of splitting from Alpine district

5/23/06-Deseret News - Orem not hastening into a schools split

5/23/06-Salt Lake Tribune Article-Orem to study Alpine District split

5/12/06 Provo Daily Herald - Math decision delayed

5/10/06 Provo Daily Herald - Petition Requests District Division

5/6/06 Deseret News - Utah to study states' math programs

4/16/06 Provo Daily Herald- Alpine District continues to lose students to charters

4/6/06 Provo Daily Herald- Charter school debate heats up in Alpine school district

3/20/06 Salt Lake Tribune - Alpine in grip of 'Math Wars'

3/3/06 Provo Daily Herald-Professor: Clearer math standards needed

3/2/06 Deseret News- Math Petition Circulating

2/19/06 San Jose Mercury News - Math back in forefront, but debate lingers on how to teach it.

2/18/06 Salt Lake Tribune-Battle over math teaching spreads

2/15/06 Salt Lake Tribune-Indifference to math skills part of the problem

2/15/06 Deseret News-Parents voice their views on Alpine math

2/15/06 Provo Daily Herald-Provo district seeks math balance

2/9/06 Deseret News - Alpine trio defend approach to math
Rebuttal Letter to Editor: Math approach is harmful

2/7/06 Deseret News - Alpine defends math classes

2/2/06 Deseret News - Lawmaker Gives Alpine Math an F

1/29/06 Salt Lake Tribune - Charter School Funding Tight

1/20/06 Deseret News Letter to Editor: Rote exercises pay vital role in mathematical education

1/7/06 Provo Daily Herald - Investigations: Not your parent's math

12/18/05 Provo Daily Herald -Math doesn't add up for all

12/13/05  15 Charter Schools Scheduled to Open Next Year

11/24/05 Provo Daily Herald - Parents mad over new math curriculum (be sure to read the comments)

 

 

Copyright 2005-14+, All Rights Reserved