Throughout New York City, parents of children in District 2, which covers the Upper East Side and most of the downtown area of Manhattan, are asking why their children must be forced to count eggs in egg cartons, find symmetry in window panes, and learn multiplication by adding. Long division and algorithms are four letter words that are banned from the classroom. In fact, The E-Accountability Foundation has heard that veteran teachers are being told to either change their ways of teaching math to this new, confusing and "dumbed down" curriculum, or they will be removed from their job. Teachers are telling parents "Sorry, my hands are tied". High School Principals and math teachers have told us that they are very upset with the District 2 children who, when they enter 9th grade, cannot do the math required by previous standards. Stuyvesant High School, one of the premier high schools in the US, had to create, two years ago, a "dumbed down" math curriculum for the District 2 kids who were accepted into the school.

What does this say about Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein? That nothing any teacher or parent says is of any importance? That policy is implemented according to the amount of money given to its' implementation, and not what is best for the children?

Betsy Combier

NSF Award Abstract - #9731424 AWSFL008-DS3

Reconceptualizing Mathematics Teaching and Learning Through Professional
Development
NSF Org ESI
Latest Amendment Date September 15, 2003
Award Number 9731424
Award Instrument Continuing grant
Program Manager Monica B. Mitchell
ESI DIV OF ELEM SECONDARY & INFORMAL SCI ED
EHR DIRECT FOR EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES
Start Date June 1, 1998
Expires September 30, 2005 (Estimated)
Expected Total Amount $3596400 (Estimated)
Investigator Genevieve Hanlon GHanlon@nycboe.net (Principal Investigator current)
Lucy West (Principal Investigator former)
Catherine Fosnot (Co-Principal Investigator current)
Sponsor Community Sch Dist 2
333 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 102821002 / -
NSF Program 7300 TEACHER ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
Field Application 0000099 Other Applications NEC
Program Reference Code 9177,SMET,

Abstract
9731424 Mahon The Reconceptualizing Mathematics Teaching and Learning through Professional Development Local Systemic Change project involves Community School District Two of New York City and the following higher education partners: City University of New York, Bank Street College, and New York University. The project also involves Marilyn Burns' Education Associates, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the 14th Street Business Improvement District as private sector partners. The project focuses on the implementation of mathematics education reform initiatives at the K-8 levels. It is the project's goal to enhance the capacity of all 1,200 teachers of K-8 mathematics by focusing on their mathematics content knowledge, challenging their instructional beliefs, and building their ability to utilize constructivist-based instructional strategies. The project plans to implement the NSF-funded Investigations (elementary) and Connected Mathematics (middle) curriculum materials. It will also link up with the NSF-funded Mathematics in the City Project and New York's Urban Systemic Initiative. A very thorough evaluation of the project will be completed, via a subcontract with New York University. District Two is the only one of New York City's 32 school districts to work with Lauren Resnick and Marc Tucker's New Standards Project. The district is now implementing the New Standards and this project will expand District Two's efforts in professional development and the use of exemplary curriculum. An interesting aspect of this project is the use of a variety of partners and prior and current projects in extending professional development efforts to include the implementation of a standards-based K-8 mathematics curriculum.

Please report errors in award information by writing to: award-abstracts-info@nsf.gov.

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