Polls Closed

A recap of the recent surveys conducted on this blog.  As always, the usual disclaimers: not scientific, small sample size, preaching to the choir.

Question 1: Would you support a math curriculum review starting this year (2012) instead of the scheduled 2014 start?

Yes – 10 votes – 83%
No – 2 votes – 17%

The results here are consistent with the PTA survey I mentioned in my previous post. 

Conclusion: It appears clear that a majority of concerned parents/citizens support an immediate review, even recognizing the previously mentioned impact any resulting implementation might have on teachers.  I will continue to work with the PTA Council to get them to get more input from each school PTA, so that we can push the Board and the administration to respond.

Question 2 - Would you sign a petition demanding that the Board of Education instruct the school administration to eliminate Everyday Math from our elementary schools?

Yes – 13 votes – 65%
No – 7 votes – 35%

The results here actually surprised me.  I purposely used the strong word “demanding” in order to gauge the depth of feelings on this issue, figuring most folks are not into demanding (although, this is Greenwich).  It did not surprise me that this came out in favor of eliminating EDM, or that the Yes vote percentage was lower than the less demanding Question 1.  What surprised me was the two-to-one ratio of the votes.  I figured closer to 50-50. 

Conclusion: Your faithful blogger (me) is not out of line continuing to push for a change.  I will continue to push the Board of Education and the administration to see the light, i.e., to recognize the concern parents have regarding this program and the impact it is having on what I am calling the “lost generation” of our students.  To be fair, most of the BoE members recognize the concern.  We just need to turn that recognition into action.

 

QUESTION 3 - IF YOU RECOGNIZE THE ISSUES WITH EVERYDAY MATH, HOW DO YOU FIX THEM?

1. I help with homework
2. I tutor at home using other math programs
3. I hire a tutor for my child (Kumon, Mathnasium, private tutor)
4. Right now, I am not doing anything

This question was reopened from a previous survey, and the incremental results were slightly different.  More parents were getting tutors, with the results going from two out of 16 (12.5%) to four out of 14 (28.6%), while the percentage tutoring at home dropped from 68.8% to 35.7%.  The percentage doing nothing stayed about the same (around 13%), and the number helping with homework dropped from 62.5% to 50%. 

Conclusions: same as last time: a high percentage of concerned parents.