Perspective

We are a group of Mountain View residents who want to better our local public schools.   We believe that our local schools can. . . offer all of our children academic opportunities leading to a University of California education, but to achieve this goal we must quickly improve the math program at Mountain View K-8 School District.

                                                            

Mountain View K-8 School District has a large Latino population, and a portion of the Mountain View School District is low income.  The coincidence of a child's zip code or ethnic origin should not determine his or her opportunities for higher education.  Professional opportunities in this country lead to jobs with health insurance, vacations, retirement and financial security.  Mathematics, especially Algebra, has been called the gatekeeper because high S.A.T. math scores are required for college entrance regardless of course of study.  The University of California draws from students in the top 12.5 % of graduating high school seniors.  

Preparation for university admission begins in elementary school with solid mathematical content and problem-solving skills sufficient to get students ready for Algebra 1 in the 8th grade.  Students’ mastery of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division--of whole numbers, fractions, percents and decimals is critical.  

Mountain View School District uses MathLand and Connected Math, two programs that do not emphasize these attributes and do not meet the rigorous and challenging standards contained in the California State Math Content Standards and Frameworks.

For more on the subject:  

     The Math Wars, Wall Street Journal, January, 4, 2000  

    An Open Letter to U. S. Secretary of Education, Richard Riley signed by over two hundred mathematicians, including department heads of major United States universities, Nobel laureates, and winners of the Field Medal, the highest prize in mathematics objecting to the U.S. Department of Education's approval of programs, including two programs used in Mountain View, MathLand and Connected Math Program.

    Mathematics Content Standards for California Public Schools

    Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools (1999)  

On September 18, 2000, the Mountain View School Board declined to adopt the California Math Content Standards or Frameworks.

We believe that Mountain View School District children are not given an opportunity to achieve because their school program does not prepare them, and they never quite catch up. We want a math program aligned with the California Math Content Standards and textbooks, approved and paid for by the state, as well as equivalent accelerated programs.   We want a program at least equivalent to the Los Altos K-8 School District program.