What Parents and Communities Can Do

Parent and Community Action Plan

Are you satisfied with the math programs in your schools?
If you aren’t, here are some things you may do.

Take Care of Your Child First	Do whatever it takes to ensure your child receives a solid math education Test your child’s math skills Tutor your child yourself Hire a tutor Enroll your child in a learning center Put your child in a private school Home school your child Single subject, multiple subjects, complete Display and maintain a positive attitude about math education
Educate Yourself About the Issues	Learn about issues in math education Learn about different math texts Do you want Explicit Instruction or a Reform Approach?
At the School Level	Become familiar with the math textbooks/program used in your schools Talk with your child’s teacher(s) Talk with the principal Apply/volunteer to serve on school site council
At the School District Level	Talk with district personnel—curriculum director, superintendent for elementary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, superintendent Talk with school board members individually Express your concerns at school board meetings Write to your school board members (see related links below) Advocate for rigorous college prep math programs Apply/volunteer to serve on math adoption or textbook review committee Request adoption of real solid math programs (recommend specific programs) Request that schools offer a real solid math program as an alternative to reform math if one isn’t in use or adopted Write letters to elected officials and legislators (see related links below) Generate and circulate a petition (click to see sample) Run for a seat on your school board Identify, Endorse, and Campaign for school board candidates meeting your criteria
At the State Level	Become familiar with your state math standards Learn about your state math assessments Advocate for rigorous college prep math programs Become familiar with exemplary math standards from other states (CA, IN, MA) Write letters to elected officials and legislators (see related links below) Write letters to state board of education members (see related links below) Testify before legislative education committee Testify before state board of education
In the Community	Network with other concerned parents & community members Join or start an math advocacy group Educate others and bring level of awareness re problems Organize a local conference/forum re math education Become familiar with issues, experiences, and efforts in other areas around the country (see websites) Develop website for local effort Write letters to the editor (see related links below) Inform local media Advocate for rigorous college prep math programs If an alternative program is available, let other parents know there is a choice Initiate a petition for a change in adoption or at least a good alternative program (click to see sample)
Math Textbook and Program Alerts	In texts, testimony, information literature, etc. watch and listen for mention of emphasis on calculator use, modeling and simulation, real world problems, integration, cooperative learning, higher order thinking, deep conceptual understanding, problem solving, evidence or research shows, etc. Check things out for yourself if you hear these things. It is not that these are bad things, they tend to be terms that are out in front of math programs of concern. Ask to see or have the research cited that is referred to.
Other Measures	Campaign and vote against school levy and bond issues until desired changes are made Campaign for and elect school board candidates
Delphi Technique	Learn to recognize the Delphi Technique and ways to counter it.The Delphi Technique — What Is It? The Delphi Technique — How to Disrupt It The Delphi Technique: Let’s Stop Being Manipulated!The Delphi Technique. What Is It? Informed Residents of Reading MABeverly Eakman – Exposing Group Manipulation Tactics School Committees, Delphi, Consensus and other info at IllinoisLooop
Edu-Speak	Ever wonder what that school administrator said? Learn to decode the language of the educrats.Edu-speak, the dictionary Education Terminology Every Parent Must Understand Education Buzzwords: Image and Reality by Kevin Killion Translating Educational Jargon by Phillip Paeltz
Public Meetings	A Practical Guide to Taping Phone Calls and In-Person Conversations in the 50 States and D.C.A Practical Guide to Taping Phone Calls and In-Person Conversations in Washington State
A QUIZ FOR ACTION	Saxon Math Warrior is a website with information about the book A Math Warrior’s Almanacby Nakonia (Niki) Hayes. One page of the website has a good quiz for action. Click on the link below to see the quiz.A QUIZ FOR ACTION
Fighting Fuzzy Math	Fighting Fuzzy Math This is a great informative presentation by Larry Gipson Co-founder, Mathematically Correct.
Additional Information for Parent Action	What’s a parent to do? Mathematically Correct Coping with Math Reform by Gregory Bachelis, Ph.D. Counting on Excellence How Parents Can Help Their Children Learn Mathematics Understanding your child’s mathematics education DEALING WITH PROBLEMS IN YOUR CHILDS’S PUBLIC SCHOOL A COMMON SENSE GUIDE Parental Rights in Education
Writing Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor	Moving the School Choice Debate Forward with Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor by George Clowes Senior Fellow at The Heartland Institute September 16, 2005 How to Write Letters to the Editor Tips on Writing Letters to the Editor
Writing Letters to Elected Officials Writing Letters to School Board Members	Tips on Writing Your Elected Officials Writing Letters to Elected Officials Section 1. Writing Letters to Elected OfficialsThe Community Tool BoxPersonalize letters to each school board member. Letters addressed to a school board as a group may only be seen or responded to by the board chair or president.

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