MORE MATH AND SCIENCE NEEDED

By Frances O'Neill Zimmerman

San Diego is recognized internationally as a center for bioscience, technology and communication, yet San Diego Unified School District has reduced instruction in math and science.

MATH

• The Institute for Learning has announced that, although this was to be the year of math, no comprehensive math program will be described and implemented in this district until 2001-2002. During the past two years state monies were provided to purchase interim materials for students, but the Institute chose to bank the funds, rather than use them for their intended purpose. Meanwhile, teachers have to improvise.

• San Diego math programs that comply with stringent California math standards will not be up and running until 2001-2002.

From the Union-Tribune, Editorial 4/28/00

"San Diego Unified is heading into its third year without a standards-based math curriculum for 141,00 students. Little wonder parents are growing increasingly impatient with the central office's promises to do better."

From Michael McKeown, Professor at Brown University and co-founder of Mathematically Correct:

"There is no excuse for the School Board to have ignored math instruction for two years while concentrating on literacy, as San Diego City Schools have done. This district has been remiss in not preparing students to meet the district and state mathematics standards." (8/5/00)

SCIENCE

• The National Science Foundation pulled a multi-million dollar grant from the district in the spring of 1999 and refused to fund another grant application in the spring of 2000.

  From Alan Bersin, Superintendent, SDUSD:

  "The National Science Foundation declined to fund the proposal because of the way in which San Diego Unified School District is implementing change, i.e., focusing on one subject at a time. The NSF reviewers could not accept the decision of the school district to wait until the third year of the grant program to begin working systemwide on science education" (7/31/00)

• On September 8 the Superintendent and Chancellor of Instruction recommended for Director of the Science Department a person whose academic background is in history, English, and education.