Parents voice their views on Alpine math

AMERICAN FORK — About a dozen parents and teachers both decried and defended Alpine's controversial math programs on Tuesday.

At a meeting of the district's Board of Education, parents complained that the programs, "Investigations Math" in elementary school and "Connected Math" in middle school, are too easy.

And they said school administrators are not responding to complaints.

"You leave us no option but to run against this board and put in new members," parent Roger Griffin said.

Alpine's math program, the district says, balances traditional math education with creative problem-solving and inventive algorithms.

Parents have said they tutor their children after school with other programs to make sure they don't fall behind.

The district started the program at some of its schools in 2001. Now all but seven of its 44 elementary schools use the programs.

Early this month, Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, attacked the district's program in the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

He proposed language legislation that would have restricted Alpine — and any other Utah district — from using the programs.

Instead, the committee ordered a study of math standards.

Parent Oak Norton said Tuesday that district math averages on standardized tests are lower than those of neighboring charter schools. He wonders if that's because all the gifted students have fled the district or if the charter schools' traditional math programs are more successful.

But Barbara Langford, a teacher at Manila Elementary, said she was part of the math committee that recommended the programs. She said it is progressive and the district's standardized test scores prove its success.

The math curriculum is always under review, as are the curriculums of other subjects, said board president JoDee Sundberg.

"We've had people from both sides say they want a deeper understanding and rigorous math," she said. "And as the Board of Education, we want the same."