Math Debate

Your March 17 front-page coverage of the traditionalist/reformist math controversy in the L.A. Unified School District left out a very important point. There is no faction attempting to make reform (or constructivist) mathematics the program for teaching all students in the LAUSD. What Guillermo Mendieta (through his hunger strike) and other leaders in this struggle demand is the right to continue to include the reformed mathematics pedagogy as an option in teaching our children mathematics. This option, which has already shown its effectiveness in greatly increasing the numbers of Latino and African American students taking more advanced mathematics classes, is seriously in danger of being cut out of the district’s curricular choices without debate.

JIM GLASER

Physics Teacher, Monrovia

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If the state produced cars, they would look and perform like the Russian Volga or the Cuban classic commonly known as a bicycle. Is it any wonder that when state officials control education the product has the same quality as would be expected in most Third World countries?

JIM HORSMAN

Math Teacher, Long Beach