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The Augusta News-Review ■ June 21, 1973,
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■ by Al Irby
WAS ALL THE BALLY—HOO OF A FEW YEARS AGO ABOUT
“NEW MATH” A LOSS OF TIME? SINCE AFTER-EXPOSURE
MANY OTHERWISE BRIGHT KIDS ARE UNABLE TO ADD,
SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY OR DIVIDE. 334 + 334 = 1223 IF
THE BASE 5 CONCEPT IS USED.
The basic theory of the so-called “New Math” isn’t really so
very difficult, and youngsters of average intelligence can grasp the
principles if it’s taught right. Only students with an arithmetic
flair should be forced to take new math, because too many kids
who are exposed to it, end up lacking in ordinary mathematic
skills. For instance many educators are discovering that children
taking the new math exclusively can’t divide 100 by 10.
It is true that youngsters who study mathematics by this new
method gain a better understanding of how numbers function and
develop a basic flair for the science of mathematics. But its
crystal clear that a decade or more has been given to the study of
a massive movement that has infused the nation’s schools with a
hodge-podge of numerical hocus-pocus. Some officials who are
really interested in education have been suspicious of the
modern-math movement from its inception; it certainly has not
solved our arithmetic problems, but in retropection it has done
harm and made things worse, especially at the elementary school
level.
This reflective observation was made by Dr. Russell E. Zwoyer,
director of the University of Illinois Committee on School
Mathematics, a group that has long been a prime mover behind
the new math reform. Schools across the nation are reporting
disastrous test of arithmetic students, who in other areas of their
school work are highly satisfactory.
Here are two glaring examples, in > 964 fifth-graders in
California scored in the 70th percentile nationally, when they
took state-wide math-tests. In 1969, sixth-graders scores were
down to the 38th percentile level. The strikingly decline
coincided with the State’s total adoption and increase usage of
new math textbooks. Educators in the Golden State are worried,
there is a sampling of 12,000 California pupils under way in an
effort to determine whether the drop of quick computational
ability was offset by an increase in mathematical problem-solving.
Then in New Hampshire, eighth-graders in 1965 who were
tested on their ability to compute quickly had an average grade
equivalent of 8.8%. In 1967 another group of eight-graders who
were given similar tests, and who had been studying the new
method had an average grade equaling only 6.8%, a drop of two
full grade levels.
Dr. Fernand J. Prevost, Math Consultant in the U.S. office of
Education, made this statement concerning the drastic drop in
arithmetic knowledge of these noramally bright youngsters: “One
result of all this is that school officials across the country are
beginning to say that some parts of the old math might always be
necessary. At the very least, they’re tampering with their various
new-math programs to make sure that youngsters can quickly
figure out how many times 12 goes into 84 without having to
consult tables.”
In New York, where test scores are declining and parents are
complaining vociferously about the new math, state officials are
revising both the elementary and secondary modern math
programs.
Dr. Frank S. Hawthorne, who haeads the New York’s
Mathematics Educational Department made this succinct
statement: “We do feel that the ability to add, substract, multiply
and divide are the heart of any elementary mathematic
curriculum, it’s essential to everyday life.
It is true those that advocate the New Math put up a terrific
argument for the new method. They contend that quick mastery
of computational skills isn’t important. Some children do not
grasp the numeral skill they should quickly enough, but taught
correctly they will acquire skills plus a real depth of
understanding of basic mathematics. They say that it just takes a
little bit more time than traditional arithmetic for it all to sink in.
Most mathematicians, teachers and parents alike seem
disillusioned with the base-5 and base-10 concept. It is certainly a
labyrinth of mathematical sleight-of-hand. Lee Mahon,
curriculum director for the San Francisco City Schools, says:
“Most San Francisco teachers have given up trying to use the
complex New Math texts in their classrooms, and are substituting
mimeographed math lessons they have written themselves.”
Many of the text book publishers are getting rid of much of
the abstract heavy theoretical content of their New-Math courses.
These publishers are faced with a parent-rebellion and they are
reacting in favor of the protesters. One main objection to the
current new method is thatt it is too difficult for the average
parent to understand. Curriculum editors point out the fact that
writing quantities such as adding and multiplying in other base
numbers gives the pupils a better grasp of arithmetic.
But Richand M. Anderson, senior editor of mathematics texts
at Ginn & Co., a Xerox subsidiary, made this broad statement to
a group of New York parents: “It was not worth the pains it
imposed on students and parents. Ginn’s two brand-new
elementary math programs maintain much of the modern math.
Parents should be able to pick up these books and understand
them to help their children with their homework.”
PROGRESSIVE TEACHING IS GETTING A BIG LAUGH-A
few years ago there was a charge that so-called progressive
teaching techniques were producing a crop of inferior readers,
this condition caused widespread concern among parents and
educators.
PUT.LED OFF A HOAX--Back in the old days when emphasis
was put on reading, writing and arithmetic; little Johnnie was a
pretty-fair, teachable kid. Then came along the fanciful theories
of philosopher John Dewey with his innovation sacrificing
intellectual substance for pedagogical frills. Much of the better
concepts of “Progressive Pedagogy” have endured. But public
pressure has forced a return to phonics, which stresses the
phonetic value of letters and letter-groups. Eventually all of our
schools will return to basic teaching, rather than experimental
philosophizing. Most teachers in elementary schools aren’t math
oriented. Teaching math is a nerve-wracking for most of them,
and getting modern math concepts across to them has been a big
joke.
Page 4
| Speaking |
■■r' From
iJK Athens |
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X# Roosevelt Green, Jr.
Jazz is too often neglected by Blacks who profess to be proud
of their heritage. This form of music is one of the truly Black
musical contributions to this country. It is therefore somewhat
sad to see promoters of jazz festivals having to bring in rock and
roll stars to insure adequate attendance by other Blacks and
Whites.
White racism has been the major reason why jazz has not been
more popular in this country. This is because the white majority
prefers popular and hard rock music to jazz largely because of a
lack of exposure. However, there are many whites who “dig” jazz
and who also play the music very well. White radio stations rarely
if ever play jazz or rymthm and blues music for that matter.
Black musicians of whatever music form have diffeculty selling
their records because so many white stations prefer country and
western or music sung by white stars who really cannot carry a
tune on a wagon.
Many if not most Blacks are not familiar iwth such jazz greats
as Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, John
Coltrane, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Art Blakesly, Jelly Roll
Morton, Les McCann, Cannonball Adderley, Eddie Harris, Yusef
Lateef, Stanley Turretine, Lee Morgan, Max Roach, J. J. Johnson,
Ella Fitzgerald, Jimmy Smith, Sarah Varghn, nd Wes
Montgomery. These giants and many more deserve our support as
well as appreciation for this form of music. This writer frankly
prefers jazz over most other musical expressions.
Some excellent white jazz artists include such notables as Stan
Getz, Herbie Mann, Dave Brubeck, Kai Winding, Carl Tjader,
Bennie Goodman, Buddy Rich, and Hervie Hancock to name a
small number. It must be remembered that music truly trancends
the color or ethnic barrier. Good musicians come in all ethnic or
so called “racial” groups.
One cannot go any further in discussing jazz withou
mentioning such Black stars as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie,
and Jonah Jones. Augusta is more fortunate than Athens since
one Black station, WRDW, does play jazz on Sunday nights and
during weekday noon hours. Atlanta and Savannah lead the way
in exposing Georgians to jazz byway of AM-FM rodio
programming. It is really delightful music that sounds good on
modern stereo component systems. The new four channel hi-fi
stereo component systems are truly “what’s happening” for real
musical enjoyment. A jazz festival is suppose to be held in
Atlanta soon.
It is hoped that more Blacks will learn about this important
part of our heritage in the future. There is a minority of whites
who have supported jazz historically in a very devoted manner.
Black and White Americans should demand that Black music be
jplayed more on radio stations across the country.
This writer is grateful for several very good music appreciation
courses that were taught to him in high and college. Those
courses helped me to accept all form of music including country
and western and classical forms. It is highly significant to note
that Charlie Pride is a Black country and western singing star who
is one of the top male recording artists. Having grown up on a
diet of Eddie Arnold and Hank Williams coupled with rhythm
and Blues, the writer learned to like a variety of music. Country
and western can probably be called white “soul” music. “Soul” is
not necessarily limited to Blacks by any stretch of the
imagination. Music has probably done more to promote racial
acceptance than perhaps the Christian Church in America.
It was a real pleasure to attend the live performances this year
of such artists as 8.8. King, Billy Preston, and Curtis Mayfield.
8.8. King is finally gaining acceptance by many whites after all
these years. King and Lucille, his guitar, deserve the super star
status they now have achieved. Isaac Hayes is another great star
this writer has seen in recent years. It would be gratifying to see
the performances of such stars as Al Green, Roberta Flack, Nina
Simone, Aretha Franklin, Arthur Prysock, Les McCann, the
Ramsey Lewis Trio and Miles Davis.
There are still some narrow minded Black and White christions
who profess to only want to hear religious music. However, you
can catch most of them “patting their feet” to securar or
non-religious music if one is quite observant. There is no need to
live a life of double standards in a religious straight jacket. Some
of this crowd will go to hell if they do not stay but one day. Life
could be more enjoyable to most of us if we could overcome our
selfrighteous hang-ups and quit jiving people about how holy we
are. God does not expect us to walk around with pious looks with
our faces dragging the ground and only deceiving or fooling
ourselves. Most people are wise to hypocrites whether they act
like it or not.
Music has been our focus this week as a means of escaping the
insanity of Watergate and other problems. One has to get away
from “heavy” things or matters once in a while for reflection or
thinking in general, it is noteworthy that more of us need ot learn
how to relax in our anxiety ridden times. The “rat race” can
really get you down especially if you are a mouse rather than a
rat. The big rats are destroying the cheese to the extent that most
of us have to settle for the scent rather than the cheese. Perhaps
we can one day transform the rat race into a human race if we
survive our present ordeals.
Our sympathy and prayers go out for singer James Brown and
his family as they experience the grief of losing a beloved son
recently. Brother Brown deserves our sympathy and empathy in
this unfortunate period.
It was a real pleasure to chat with fellow columnist Philip
Waring by telephone this past week. We shared some views and
experiences in an encouraging manner for both of us. He makes
SEE SPEAKING FROM ATHENS
Page 5
THE AUGUSTA NEWS-REVIEW
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Vcrar~E. JontaUr. fl L
THE SOUTH’S PURGE OF BLACK TEACHERS
There has been too much complacent self-satisfaction on the
part of government officials and school administrators about the
South’s progress in desegregating its dual school system.
We’ve heard too much about the simple fact that more black
children go to the same schools that white kids attend in the
South, and not enough about the internal resegregation that
occurs within schools and about the purge of black principals,
administrators and teachers that is still going on.
A recent conference in Atlanta, convenned by several top civil
rights and education organizations, put the spotlight on this
neglected purge.
The conference estimated that since the 1954 Supreme Court
decision that desegregated southern and border state school
systems, some 31,000 black teachershave lost their jobs. In 1970
alone, the black community lost a quarter of a billion dollars in
income because of this.
As integrated school systems were introduced in most southern
districts, many black teachers were fired or transferred to
lower-level jobs. Many black principals were either forced out of
the system, or had white principals placed above them while their
own title and responsibilities shrank to the assistant principal
level.
Not only were existing black-held school jobs eliminated or
stripped of their status, but new positions within the school
systems have been closed off to blacks. Newly-created teaching
jobs and principal jobs have gone almost exculusively to white
candidates. Since 1968, over 23,000 new teaching jobs opened up
in the eleven southern states, but blacks got less than 500 of
them.
This is bad enough, but new developments could accelerate the
trend. Many black teachers and administrators have been shunted
off the regular payrolls of the school districts and on to special
compensatory education programs funded by the federal
government. There federal programs are now victims of the
wholesale budget cuts in human service programs, which means
that many more black educators may become jobless.
Most of the dismissals and demotions have occurred in rural
school districts, but the federal cuts will affect urban programs as
well, so 1973 may see the purge of black educators extended.
The situation is serious enough, but another new development
makes it still more dangerous. Pressures to merge the black state
colleges in the south with the predominately white colleges may
result in a new purge of college teachers and administrators. State
and local officials used desegregation as a tool with which to
purge black college teachers and administrators?
This is an important question because the purge has not only
damaged the economy of black citizens in the South, it has dealt
a severe blow to a considerable segment of the local black
leadership class.
There seems to have been a determined effort to drive blacks
out of the school systems of the South. Lay-offs, demotions and
transfers to less desirable assignments, coupled with lack of access
to administrators and district school officials have demoralized
black educators and discouraged young people from careers in
education.
Although this is illegal and unconstitutional, the courts have
been silent and the government, although it has the power to cut
off funds from districts that discriminate in this way, has not
done so.
Public discussion about desegregation has revolved around the
phony issue of busing, or about the supposed progress that has
been made. It is time now to turn the spotlight on the widespread
discriminatory practices that have turned surface integration into
a sham, harming black children and black educators, as well as the
black economy.
LETTERS TO EDITOR |
PRAISES COVERAGE
Dear Editor:
June is a good month for
“catching up” and thinking
back over the events of the
past months. I find in those
months so many occasions on
which the News-Review has
given fine coverage of
community activities. Thank
you especially for your
reporting of Oglethorpe Park
Developments, Arbor Day, the
“1776” movie benefit, the
Augusta Arts Festival, and the
William S. Boyd Competition
for Young Pianists.
Sincerely
Nancy Anderson
820 Fleming Ave.
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GOING
1 PI ACES JMjK I
Editor’s Note: We are reprinting “Going Places”, Section Number
2 published last week in the Stamford Shopper-Mail Newspaper as
it highlights the status of Mr. Waring.
THANK SUPPORTERS
May I thank the many persons who have so kindly phoned,
sent messages, cards, etc. regarding my forthcoming mid-summer
retirement from my present Urban League position.
Several questions have been raised as to the continuation of my
weekly column, “Going Places”. Upon leaving the hospital with
health permitting and God willing, “Going Places” will continue
in the Stamford Weekly Mail, and also in my hometown paper,
the Augusta, Ga. “News-Review” (where it has operated for the
past 25 years).
APPRECIATES JORDAN LETTER
Last Thursday evening at a very significant Urban League
fourth annual meeting I was warmly saluted by our League board,
staff and members. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., my national boss,
graciously sent a letter thanking me for my professional service in
the Urban League. It was read by William Haskins, NUL Eastern
Regional Director, who also highlighted the success in which this
affiliate had moved ahead in four short years.
THANKS TO COMMUNITY
May I extend warm appreciation to a hard working and
dedicated board staff, guild, various community organizations,
NUL and the United Fund units for their role in helping to build
a new Urban League in Southwestern Fairfield County. And let’s
not forget the communications media who undergirded and
helped tell our story.
This time four years ago in 1969 Urban League was but a
dream. Now, four years later, we have what NUL describes as a
successful, ongoing operation. We have an interracial board, staff
and guild, there are members in the four towns where we serve,
office facilities have been established in Stamford and Greenwich,
hundreds of youth and adults have been helped, and our annual
meetings have attracted such national figures as the late Whitney
Young, Asst. Secretary of Labor Art Fletcher, Vernon Jordan and
Commissioner Ersa Poston. The presence of the 63-year-old NUL
has been firmly established in this part of Connecticut.
PROGRAM SERVICES
While we’ve had some ups and downs, some expectations far
beyond our slim resources to produce, NUL informs us that we’ve
moved forward. What are some of our program highlights? (1) We
were one of ten Leagues chosen for a NUL voter
education-registration project. As such our project, working with
other groups, was able to register more than 2,000 residents,
many of whom were Black and Puerto Ricans; (2) We introduced
to this area new programs in minority career guidance including
an annual career clinic and the BOAT youth motivation project in
inner-city schools; (3) We’ve conducted (thanks to the Stamford
Neighborhood Youth Corps) three Summer Greenwich summer
job-training programs, which brought in over $25,000 in new
money. This is important because many persons in Greenwich
refuse to admit there are low income families there; (4) In 1972,
thanks to financing by the American Can Company, we published
an invaluable Community Resource Guide for Southwestern
Fairfield County; (5) As a new affiliate, our agency garnered two
“firsts”. They included placement of a graduate social work
student by the University of Conn, and selection of a staff worker
to speak at the NUL Conference where she described our work
with Puerto Ricans; (6) Our topflight interracial guild has
established scholarships and an Educational Center to assist youth
to enter college; (7) We have spearheaded organization of several
coalitions with other civic groups to spur civil rights and
system-change, and (8) Persons placed on jobs have earned more
than $50,000 in new money. We all feel that the community is
better because of Urban League.