More complaints about EDM from parents in Alaska

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Many parents feel strongly that Everyday Math is a mistake.

"Why is the school district even considering maintaining a curriculum that is so difficult to teach and requires continuing education for parents to help their student with homework?" asked parent Rachel Saxby.

Saxby said she voted against school bonds because she's upset about the district spending money on "misguided experiments in curricula," among other criticisms.

Saxby was one of more than 15 parents, grandparents and a teacher who sent emails to respond to a Daily News question about the math program.

"When my son was at Susitna Elementary, he brought home the book," said Mike Carrier, "The math curriculum was so crazy. It seemed to go around eight to 10 more hoops than was necessary to come up with the proper answer to what should be easy math equations."

The program teaches kids three or more ways to multiply and divide, said parent Jim Miller. "If you are a student struggling to learn just one way to multiply or divide, trying to teach you several different ways of doing it just confuses you!"

"Everyday Math is an awful educational tool and very hard to understand," said Yvette Miller, another parent. "After re-reading the instructions on some of the homework my daughter has brought home I felt as if I was unable to help my child with having a better understanding of this type of math."

She said she agrees with the thought others have voiced: "'Teach math the old way.' This is the way I've taught my children at home."

Airport Heights Elementary teacher Emily Becker is also critical of Everyday Math. "It's not a bad curriculum by any means," she wrote. "However, it is disastrous for English language learners, students who struggle with reading comprehension and students who struggle with abstract concepts."

"I dearly wish they would ditch EDM."



Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/06/26/1937573/after-complaints-school-board.html#ixzz1QZSUtLRv