Remove TERC Math

To:  Frederick County Board of Education, and the Superintendent of Schools

In 2008, FCPS mandated countywide implementation of a controversial "fuzzy math" program known as TERC "Investigations in Number, Data, and Space". This mandate makes TERC the core K-5 elementary math instruction program in the Frederick County Public Schools.

Math experts from Harvard and Stanford University assess such "fuzzy math" math programs as falling short of giving students the essential mathematics skills to reason accurately, and regard TERC as especially deficient, resulting in children falling roughly two years behind where they should be by the end of fifth grade.

The problems with TERC include that it:

• DOES NOT teach proven standard, simple efficient and effective methods of solving mathematics problems.

• DOES NOT promote mastery of basic arithmetic facts.

• DOES NOT teach mastery of multiplication tables.

• DOES NOT teach simple long division.

• DOES NOT provide sufficient practice for children to master math concepts and applications.

• DOES overemphasize the use of calculators.

• DOES progress at a remedial pace.

FCPS is investing tax dollars to experiment on the county’s elementary school children. Given the nationwide failures of TERC and programs like it, we are not willing to allow FCPS to gamble with our children’s educational future.

For the benefit of our children, our school district, and our community, we, the undersigned parents and citizens of Frederick County, Maryland, hereby formally request FCPS remove TERC as the core elementary mathematics program. We specifically request that FCPS:

• Stop further implementation of TERC beyond the current 2008-2009 school year.

• Remove TERC as the core FCPS elementary math program no later than the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

• Allow parents to "opt out" of TERC and be provided with an appropriate traditional mathematics education for their children using Singapore Math, Saxon Math, or another program that parents approve of using with their children.

• Offer free summer remediation for students whose parents assess their children have not received sufficient and appropriate grade level instruction under TERC so they can "catch back up" to where they would have been under a sound traditional math program.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Remove TERC Math Petition to Frederick County Board of Education, and the Superintendent of Schools was created by and written by Tom Neumark (tneumark2000@yahoo.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.