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activated. MEMORANDUM October 23, 1997 TO: Richard W. Riley, US Secretary of Education FR: Kirby Urner, 4D Solutions RE: Pro-mathematics action, requesting your Department's support Dear Sir -- I have just been browsing your letter of October 20, 1997, in the context of a white paper on the importance of taking rigorous courses in mathematics if hoping to pass through the gateway to greater freedoms and opportunities.[1][2] As a curriculum writer in Oregon state with a longstanding interest in mathematics (I've taught at the high school level, and served as a contributing editor for McGraw-Hill), I want to call your attention to our national campaign to overcome student apathy and distaste around this important subject. I don't know if you have, or had a teenager (my step-teen is a college freshman this year), but you probably know in any case that part of what it means to be young is to question authority, to ask oneself whether the adults really have it all together, or are just pretending at some level, given how messed up the world really seems to be. In order to focus this natural and healthy rebelliousness into positive channels, various school activities come into play (e.g. football), short of outright disciplinary action or expulsion, which of course we strive to avoid. The school activity I'm brainstorming, with assistance from some professional organizers more skilled in these matters than I, is a "National Walk Out of Math Class Day" (we might come up with a better name for it soon). Web pages should be popping up before too long whereon various businesses and other organizations, as well as individuals, register their support and encouragement for this highly choreographed display of civil disobedience, aimed at drawing attention to the neglected and sorry state of our current USA mathematics curriculum. The purpose of this memo is to request the official support of the US Department of Education for our action -- a USA Medal of Freedom went to the chief mathematical genius in our midst and although he has since passed away, we still think our nation should keep his service, e.g. his contributions to mathematics, in mind.[3] The Department of Education is ideally positioned to prepare our citizens for life 'Beyond Flatland' i.e. for a newly remodeled and highly accessible gateway into the domain of spatial geometry, complete with interesting new thinking in algebra.[4] We could couple this campaign to some press concerning the long and venerable history of civil disobedience in achieving positive gains for Americans in all walks of life, from the civil rights movement to labor relations -- I'm sure I don't need to tell you about these gains, but many of the younger set have no direct experience with social change work. Here, in the Mathematics Department, we have a chance to turn this around. I have recently sent a memo to Ivars Peterson, a respected author and mathematics teacher, and frequent contributor to the Mathematics Association of America website, about perhaps securing MAA support for our campaign.[5] That would leave the NCMT as a key organization from which we'd like to attract support. I wrote the NCMT a memo in February about the math curriculum upgrades we're seeking to implement by 1999 and trust a lot of NCMT folks are already on board, at least in spirit.[6] Thank you for giving this matter your attention. Along the lines of the highly successful 'Blue Ribbon' freedom of speech campaign, we plan to make signature iconography available from a central repository, for copying and displaying on web pages registering support for this action. If you or some webmaster in your office would like the URL for this repository once it exists, with an eye towards joining us in support of improving the mathematics curriculum in the USA, please send an email or snailmail to my address below.[7] Again, thanks for all your hard work. I feel we're turning the corner on making Mathematics once again the exciting and interesting subject we all know it could be. Sincerely, Kirby Urner PS: I'm archiving this memo to you at my website so that we have a clear record of support requests in connection with this campaign. I want kids to know that we're into seriously networking with all the relevant agencies, both governmental and NGOs. The action itself is planned for next spring.[8] [1] http://www.ed.gov/pubs/math/part1.html [2] "Mathematics Equals Opportunity" White Paper prepared for U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W.Riley October 20, 1997, http://www.ed.gov/pubs/math/ [3] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/index.html [4] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/quadrays.html [5] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/ipmemo.html [6] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/ncmtmemo.html [7] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/ [8] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/usdepted.html |
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