Sunday, November 2, 1997

Rain forest algebra just doesn't add up for Texas textbooks

By Richard Neill

Professor Marianne Jennings of Arizona State University was recently shocked to find that while her teen-age daughter was receiving A's in algebra, she had no idea of how to actually solve an equation. Like any concerned parent, Dr. Jennings decided to take a look at her daughter's textbook, Addison-Wesley's Secondary Math: An Integrated Approach. After reading the text herself, Jennings unofficially dubbed the textbook, Rain Forest Algebra.

The reason I'm bringing this book to your attention is that next month the Texas State Board of Education will vote on whether or not to adopt Rain Forest Algebra for possible use in your child's classroom. Arizona's quandary is now Texas' dilemma.

Let's take a closer look at this new approach, trying to keep in mind that this is supposed to be a math book.

The initial shot fired off against algebra appears on the very first page of the book. It says, "In the 21st century, computers will do a lot of the work that people used to do. Even in today's workplace, there is little need for someone to add up daily invoices or compute sales tax." Quite honestly, I'm floored by this comment. Does this message encourage a student to persevere and work hard to become proficient in math?

According to one math professor, this book is nothing more than an attempt to water down mathematics. Among the many diversions from math are Maya Angelou's poetry, pictures of President Clinton and Mali wood carvings, as well as lectures on how we continue to destroy our environment. In fact, on Pg. 163 there's even an advertisement for purchasing 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth.

To name just a few more, this so-called algebra book includes a description of the Dogon people of Africa, together with photos and philosophical thoughts of students Tatuk and Minh. Then it takes your child on a journey to India where he is introduced to Prossana Rao, known for spending hours making shadow images of people, birds and animals on his bedroom wall.

Reality check: This is a math book, folks.

Then there's the full-page criticism of how men were drafted in the Vietnam War with special politically correct emphasis on the fact that women were not drafted. And don't miss the lectures on endangered species or the feature on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in three languages.

When does Rain Forest Algebra get around to defining an algebraic expression? On Pg. 107. Sure, the Pythagorean Theorem is discussed -- on Pg. 502. By the time I got that far, I could not for the life of me decipher if I had been studying sociology, environmental science or world history.

During recent discussions of this very textbook in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., stated, "Nice thought, but nice thoughts don't always get the job done. This should be called wacko algebra. First of all, the book has five 'algebra authors,' but here's the catch: It also has four 'multicultural reviewers' and 20 'other series authors.' "

And I thought I was confused.

My point is this: Addison-Wesley's watered down algebra destroys the true beauty of mathematics. You see, math helps mold children. It teaches them perseverance, attention to detail, critical thinking skills and discipline. Mincing garbage recycling and Vietnam War protests with quadratic equations will not help them acquire these qualities.

And my concern should be yours. Texas truly has the best educators in America. I know because I've met many of them, and they deserve the best possible teaching materials. How members of the State Board of Education could even entertain the thought of sending this "algebra textbook" to your child's classroom is beyond me.

But I'll think about that later. Tomorrow is another day, and I've got to get back to reading this new algebra book. I'm just getting to the part on chili cookoffs and jalapeno recipes.

Dr. Richard Neill is a member of the Texas State Board of Education. He represents District 11, which includes Tarrant, Denton and Dallas counties. His e-mail address is sboe@flash.net.