A group of parents calling itself SOMATH is lobbying for fundamental changes to the 6-12th grade math curriculum and placement process in the South Orange – Maplewood school district.
Several of them — as well as a current Columbia High School student who said his college acceptances had been harmed by the district’s math program — took to the microphone at last Monday’s Board of Education meeting to ask the district for change.
The statements were similar to those parents made at November’s board meeting. Since then, SOMATH representatives have met with Asst. Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Susan Grierson to discuss the issues.
“[We were] pleased to meet with [Ms.] Grierson, to discuss the district’s math program and changes that can be made to ensure that all of our children are the recipients of a rigorous and fair math education,” said Mary Barber, a SOMATH member, in an email. “We also look forward to meeting with members of the Board of Education to discuss our concerns and to develop solutions,” she said.
Grierson and a district spokeswoman did not respond to The Village Green’s requests for comment.
“We’re very concerned about the state of math education in our district,” said Ellen Dreyer at the Board of Ed meeting. She said the district’s “gatekeeping” makes it difficult for students to move between levels, that the curriculum is not coherent and consistent and that students — especially those in advanced classes — are left to struggle with little if any direct instruction from teachers.
For those students, said Dreyer, the options are to hire a private tutor or to move down a level.
Sam Gomberg, a senior at CHS, told board members he had always excelled in math until he was placed in advanced algebra in freshman year, when his teacher gave little instruction but left students to “figure things out on their own.”
Gomberg’s final grades in 9th and 10th grade math affected his GPA. “Thousands and thousands of dollars [in tutoring] later” he is doing well in AP Calculus, but because of the “poor instruction” he received in his first years of high school, he lacked the core concepts of algebra and geometry necessary to get high enough scores on the Math SAT.
“The weakness of the math program has hindered my ability to get into schools I should be able to get into given my capability and interest in learning,” said Gomberg.
“I feel the math program in the district is failing many students, including two of my kids,” said Leah Gomberg, Sam’s mother, who stressed that she supports the district’s teachers and administrators.
Gomberg said rather than instructing students on how to understand and solve math formulas and concepts, teachers hand out worksheets or write formulas on the board and expect students to work independently or in small groups to solve problems.
Dr. Candice Beattys, Supervisor of Mathematics, 6-12, told Gomberg that if her son couldn’t keep up with that style of teaching, he should drop down a level.
This “survival of the fittest” approach does not seem to coincide with the district’s goal to close the achievement gap, said Gomberg. “The way the teachers have been directed to teach isn’t working for us or for many, many students in our district.”
Another parent said the district’s “don’t teach” method “passes the buck to parents,” which lead her daughter to claim to dislike math, and her son — initially placed in the lowest level, College Prep — to conclude that he was just “not that smart.”
She continued, “Really, this is our goal?
One parent, Tom Borello, said his family had the “direct opposite” experience of what many were saying and had only “very positive” experiences with the math program in the district.
His children have never experienced any difficulty with curriculum transitions between grades or schools and have always been sufficiently prepared. His son, who has a learning disability, has always been accommodated by teachers, said Borello.
Further, “the district has taken steps to include more students in higher level math” by increasing the number of entry points.
He also said the district was not an “outlier” in its approach to leveling math, with most surrounding districts beginning to level in 6th grade, some with more restrictive criteria. Borello noted that the district is “unique” in that students can take AP Calculus in 11th grade and additional AP and advanced math in 12th grade.
“I’m very grateful that all of our students have this opportunity available to them,” said Borello.
