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Text identical to archival version, embedded hyperlinks
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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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