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Three typos fixed for this web edition, embedded hyperlinks
activated.
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 21:54:25 -0800
To: Melissa_Chabran@ed.gov
From: Kirby Urner <pdx4d@teleport.com>
MEMORANDUM
February 20, 1998
TO: Melissa Chabran
Planning and Evaluation Service
U.S. Department of Education
FR: Kirby Urner
Curriculum writer
4D Solutions, Oregon
Dear Ms. Chabran --
You may recall our exchange of memoranda at the end of last
year, archived at my website.[1] You expressed some interest
in hearing of my progress and accomplishments, even though you
were not supportive of my plans to use nonviolent civil
disobedience in the great American tradition, should the
curriculum juggernaut continue on its present heading towards
shipwreck.
I am pleased to report that my so-called Math Makeover of 1998
is gathering momentum. Mostly we have been engaged in a lot of
cool-headed behind the scenes internet discussion of curriculum
matters, including around the subject of racism, as per links
previously spelled out and further clarified at my website.[2]
However, I maybe should take some responsibility for some of
the more disruptive and confrontational displays in recent days
at these staged media events. When I referred to our fearless
leaders in Washington DC as "loser cretins" who don't even know
"baby math" (referring to the A and B modules), this was in a
context of looking back from a projected future viewpoint --
imagining how this will all look to kids as yet preverbal,
once they have a chance to read their USA history texts and
view the archival videos. But people often take such things
out of context, as I'm sure you realize.
Also, although I've made a point of underlining the strong
links between Medal of Freedom winner R. Buckminster Fuller's
tetrahedral 4D geometry and anti-racism, I doubt whether most
local leaders are thinking "tetrahedron" when they chant "one
two three four..." (as if counting the vertices or face
window-openings) -- even though the link to anti-racism (and
anti-nationalism, a close relative) is abundantly clear.[3]
I hope (and strongly suggest) that when Mr. Clinton comes on TV
soon to explain his administration's rationale for staging
explosive events in Persia, that he'll have something
intelligent to say to the math teachers, now that we're telling
our kids in more detail about design science, synergetics, and
our option to succeed as never before.
How does this image they're getting of a bright future in the
21st century sync with Ms. Albright's, for example, which seems
very rooted in the 20th -- or maybe 19th?
The Russians know about the design science option, and even the
Iraqis are signalling some comprehension -- so what's with up
with the USA? Anybody home? My kids want some answers.
Apologies for the confrontational tone. Mathematics is really
a cool-headed Vulcan enterprise, even when it gets
polemical sometimes (i.e. more Klingon).
In conclusion, we have been unimpressed with the Clinton
administration's efforts to date to do any serious homework on
this front (math and geometry) and will no doubt get a lot more
vocal about this perceived failing if our putative leaders in
Washington, DC continue to demonstrate such appalling ignorance
and apathy about our USA mathematics curriculum.[4]
Thanks for listening.
Sincerely,
Kirby Urner
Hyperlinks:
[1] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/usdepted.html
[2] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/makeover1.html
[3] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/bosnia.html
[4] http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/mathsummit.html
This memo: http://www.teleport.com/~pdx4d/usdepted3.html
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