Greetings to everyone in the group and Happy New Year(almost). This
is my first posting to the group and I hope someone can relate to my
question. My wife is teaching Everyday Math (fifth grade) for the
first time this year. The new superintendent implemented this new
program this summer without the approval of the school board or any
input from the cirriculum committee. This is after the math program
in place was starting to show positive test scores. I am a real
estate appraiser and work with numbers and calculations all day and I
have never seen anything this ridiculous. There is a lot of secrecy
about the acquisition of this new program on behalf of the
superintendent. THe superintendent was just hired this year and she
claims she implemented Everyday Math in her previous district prior
to taking this new job. I have looked their scores up and they have
fallen since they started to use Everyday Math. Just this last week
one of the board members who is on the cirriculum committee attended
a meeting with the math teachers and the superintendent. This board
member was told that this was a private meeting and she would have to
leave. This was a very uncomfortable position for the teachers and
the board member. It became so weird, that the superintendent moved
the meeting to another building and had the principles escort her in.
Here is the finale, the superintendent locked the math teachers in a
room with her so they could have their Everyday Math meeting.

So here is my question and if anyone in the group doesn't feel
comfortable answering it, that is fine too. Has anyone felt that
Everyday Math has been forced upon their respected districts without
any prior information or discussions about this math program and do
they feel there is something questionable about districts purchasing
this program. Our district has paid over $100,000 for Everyday Math
and the budget for 2008 will have to cover $25 for every student in
the schools that use Everyday Math. Our district is very poor and
this is going to be a hardship financially for us.