Weekly Math Updates

March 3 , 2008

Contents:

  • Legislation Update
  • School Board Election (please consider running in A4, A6, A7)
  • What's Next
  • Media Articles
  • Poster Project Update

Hi folks,

First of all, thanks for all the prayers and well wishes on behalf of my wife.  Her condition improves each day and there was a noticable increase in her condition last week when many of you were kind enough to remember her in your prayers.  Thank you.

Legislation Update

Well, the session is over and the Math Task Force bill came right down to the final day.  In the end, the Senate passed it and the House didn't put it up for a vote. This is a setback as I was very hopeful we would get world class standards this year.

School Board Election (please consider running in A4, A6, A7)

Tomorrow, March 7th, starts the sign up period to declare your candidacy in the upcoming election in November.  We need you to run for these three seats on the school board this fall.  Two years ago we succeeded in getting Tim Osborn on the board and he has done a tremendous job, sometimes with all the odds stacked against him.  He needs help and if we can get these three seats occupied by some of you that understand the math issue, we would have control of the board to implement world class standards regardless of what Utah said the state standards are. ASD could and would become a model district for the state and nation by leading the way with the very best standards, programs, and teachers.  I know a few of you said you were willing to run in the election and I hope all of you considering it file and see what shakes loose.  I will commit to pass out fliers in each district area for whoever becomes the candidate and I know others will help also.  Here's a link to the county website.

http://www.co.utah.ut.us/Links/ViewDeptLinks.asp?LINK_SYSTEM=CLERKAUD&ABBV=CANDFILENOTE

I don't know why the precinct map is so hard to find on the county website, but here's a copy from my website:

http://www.oaknorton.com/PrecinctMap.pdf

What's Next

With the legislative session over, my focus will be on:

1) Getting the state school board members fully convinced that we need stronger standards (and I think most of them realize this), incentive pay, and stronger teacher standards
2) Elect 3 new board members in ASD

 

Media Articles

There are a lot of articles to catch you up on.  At least read the titles below if you don't read the article. You need to be aware that some very bad things are happening in California right now that can set dangerous precedent for the rest of the country.

In this first article we see some additional groundwork being laid between mathematicians and math educators.  I am not certain where this really puts things because the mastery and grade levels are not where they ought to be for world class comparisons.  My national contacts are awaiting the published draft before commenting.

Education Panel Lays Out Truce In Math Wars
Effort to Fix 'Broken' System Sets Targets for Each Grade, Avoids Taking Sides on Method
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120465579132610785.html

Parents of 166,000 students could face criminal charges
'Breathtaking' decision on homeschooling now moving to California Supreme Court
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=58137

Judge orders homeschoolers into government education
Court: Family's religious beliefs 'no evidence' of 1st Amendment violation
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=57679

From the People's Republic of California, the next step...

Next on school agenda: Teaching communism
Family advocate: 'Just when we thought indoctrination couldn't get any worse'
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=58061

So your choice is, homeschool your children and teach them the principles of freedom at the risk of being thrown in jail, or let the state indoctrinate them in the finer points of true heroes like Stalin and Lenin...but without all that killing nonsense that would cloud young people's minds.

For a little levity on the Communism front mixed with public education, here's a transcript from Glenn Beck's radio show you may enjoy.

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/6313/

There are other groups fighting fuzzy math around the country and they are also getting some great press.  One of them is in Prince William County, Maryland.  They've done a tremendous job in a short period of time.  Here's a couple articles they recently had in the press and a link to their website if you want to check it out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/23/AR2008012300029.html

http://potomacnews.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WPN/MGArticle/WPN_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173354336677&path=#rrForm

http://pwcteachmathright.com/

 

Poster Project Update

Lastly I'd like to thank those of you that donated to the poster project in the past and just made contributions to help fund the posters into the remaining schools in the state. However, only a few hundred dollars have been raised and we really need help getting this number higher.  Every good cause starts somewhere and I'm so grateful for the help that you've all given these past few years.  I would like to ask you to think of people that would donate, perhaps contacts you know around the state or people at work, and just ask them if they would donate some money to this project to help put the "In God We Trust" posters into the remaining classrooms of the state.  ALL the district superintendents have agreed to distribute the posters to their teachers.  This is phenomenal.  We just have to fund this to the tune of a few thousand dollars and it will all happen.  Please send checks for whatever you can contribute to:

Ken Cromar
9870 North 4200 West
Cedar Hills UT 84062

If you know of someone that may be willing to make a large donation, please contact Ken or his son Talmage who is finishing this up for his Eagle project at 801-785-7799.

Till next time,

Oak Norton

If this email was forwarded to you, please go here and sign the petition to get on my mailing list.
http://www.oaknorton.com/mathpetition.cfm

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