Dr. James F. Lane, Supervisor of Public Instruction, has been gracious enough to address with me his thoughts on the the Virginia Department of Education Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative (VMPI).
The headline for readers of this column is that he will not support any program that eliminates acceleration in mathematics.
I sent him my column this morning that addressed VMPI and recommended a program of statistical analysis of 40 elementary schools in Fairfax County followed, if justified by that analysis, by a pilot of VMPI in those same schools in Fairfax County
His response:
“I’ve asked my team to provide a longer response with more detail, but please know that I do not support any movement to eliminate acceleration in mathematics and will work over the coming days to clarify my position on this should that not be clear. Regardless of any discussions the team may or may not been having in the community, no recommendation of this kind will come from me.”
My note back to him:
“Thank you very much. I look forward to hearing from your team, and I will publish the core of your response so my readers know where you stand.
I really believe in the recommendations I have made for statistical analysis and a K-3 pilot (of VMPI) in the (40) Fairfax County schools.
Fairfax County, because of the massive size of its school system, offers a rare opportunity to eliminate the variables of place and school division management while still gathering statistically significant data. You would do Virginia and the nation a favor with such a program. I am all but certain the federal government would pay the costs to benefit from the results.”
I appreciate both his personal involvement and his response.
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