Opinion
Curriculum Letter to the Editor

Other Perspectives on ‘Anti-Knowledge’ Math

October 17, 2008 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

In her Commentary on the “anti-knowledge movement” and its impact on mathematics teaching, Jo Boaler uses as a case study what she describes as “a [California] school that had changed the math approach it used for years with poor results, to one that engaged students more actively in their math learning” (“Where Has All the Knowledge Gone?,” Oct. 8, 2008). But by not naming the school, she continues a pattern of reporting her preconceptions and perceptions as historically accurate. The school is one of three—the pseudonymously named Greendale, to be specific—that she wrote about when she was a professor at Stanford University. (“Study: Teacher-Designed Math Curriculum Is Effective,” Feb. 16, 2005.)

The fact of the matter is that the school was doing very well academically (including in mathematics) until it imposed the Interactive Mathematics Program on all its students. Outrage among parents was great, and the best math teachers left. Although the move was strongly resisted by the school, eventually real math was allowed as an option for certain students and, eventually, for all. Subsequently, only eight students chose IMP, and it was phased out entirely. The damage to the mathematics component of the school, however, still reverberates.

Wayne Bishop

Professor of Mathematics

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Calif.

To the Editor:

How dare Jo Boaler accuse parents opposed to reform math of being “anti-knowledge?”

I oppose such instruction because I have seen what it has done to my child. I have two kids, one following a traditional math program and the younger being taught the Investigations curriculum developed by TERC, a math, science, and technology education organization. I have to teach the second child at home to maintain his math knowledge, because he gets confused by all the ways his teachers ask him to add things up when he used to be able to do it in his head.

The level of mathematics in these programs is ridiculous. My son is very bored, and because of the teachers’ huge involvement in “facilitating,” they can’t take care of the brighter students.

The details of the school that Ms. Boaler claims was ruined by the anti-knowledge movement are hard to verify without specifics—its name, for example.

Opponents of fuzzy math are not organized other than by school district. This battle is being fought at the local level with no funding of any kind and no central organization.

I can’t believe Ms. Boaler received a National Science Foundation grant to peddle this nonsense. It is academically devoid of any valid content.

Edmund Page

Haymarket, Va.

A version of this article appeared in the October 22, 2008 edition of Education Week as Other Perspectives on ‘Anti-Knowledge’ Math

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Curriculum How Digital Games Can Help Young Kids Separate Fact From Fiction
Even elementary students need to learn how to spot misinformation.
3 min read
Aerial view of an diverse elementary school classroom using digital  devices with a digitized design of lines connecting each device to symbolize AI and connectivity of data and Information.
iStock/Getty
Curriculum Opinion How Much Autonomy Should Teachers Have Over Instructional Materials?
Some policymakers are pushing schools to adopt high-quality scripted lessons for teachers. And here's why.
8 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Curriculum Middle Schools Often Prioritize English and Math Over Other Subjects. Should They?
An Illinois district is equalizing time across the four major content areas. But the decision comes with trade-offs.
5 min read
Blue gradient photo of a middle school boy and girl in science class working with beakers with an overlay of a pie chart showing a slice of the pie.
SDI Productions/E+/Getty
Curriculum Q&A How This School Librarian Transformed the Library and Got More Kids to Read
While schools across the country have shed librarians, Leigh Knapp became the first full-time librarian at her school.
7 min read
A look at the new seating librarian Leigh Knapp brought into Bethune Academy's school library in Milwaukee.
A look at the new seating librarian Leigh Knapp brought into Bethune Academy's school library in Milwaukee. Knapp became the school's first full-time librarian at the start of the 2024-25 school year, with a vision of revitalizing the library and changing the school's culture around reading.
Courtesy of Leigh Knapp