State Hearing Looms on Math Textbook Controversy

Parents who have criticized for months the piloting of a new textbook for Fairfield's Algebra 1 students are gearing up for a State Board of Education hearing on the controversy, set for July 17.

And so are two statewide education organizations -- both of which have pledged support to Superintendent Dr. David Title and Fairfield's Board of Education.

The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) both urge the State Board of Education to dismiss the complaint.

The directors of each agency state that the statute the parents invoked when making the complaint to the state -- Section 10-4b of the Connecticut General Statute -- does not apply to district's piloting of the textbook College Preparatory Math (CPM) in Fairfield's Algebra I classes.

Parents contend that the district should not have implemented the use of the textbook and accompanying instructional materials without the approval of the school board. CABE and CAPSS members disagree.

Section 10-4b "does not apply to situations in which instructional materials, including textbooks, are piloted," CAPSS Executive Director Joseph Cirasuolo wrote in a June letter to Title.

CABE members stated in a June letter to school board chair Philip Dwyer that piloting a textbook is not prohibited by statute or regulation and does not require action or adoption by the local school board.

"In order to properly vet a textbook, school officials typically engage in a process prior to arriving at a recommendation for a particular textbook adoption. Along with other research, piloting a textbook without adoption for permanent use is a useful and important method school officials can utilize," according to CABE Executive Director Robert Radar and Deputy Director/General Counsel Patrice McCarthy.  

They argue that while Fairfield is accused of "failing to implement the educational interests of the state," the district actually did implement those interests in "piloting a textbook before making a decision to change textbooks."

Cirasuolo agreed.

When district staff decides to pilot a textbook, he wrote, they are implementing a "legitimate process whereby a recommendation on textbook adoption and thereby the establishment of standards can be made intelligently," thus, he contends, the piloting of textbooks does not require board approval.

Cirasuolo called the situation "moot" because the Fairfield Board of Education already rejected the CPM text at a recent meeting.

He doesn't believe the complaint should have made it as far as a hearing.

"Relevant state officials should have informed the parents who brought forward the complaint that the only appropriate remedy for their concern exists at the local community level."

Parents, however, continue their fight to have the matter investigated -- and corrected. A petition has been circulating among residents, urging in-school remediation for the "800 Algebra students who used deficient textbook." (The petition can be found here).

Petitioners contend that the impact to the students who used CPM "is serious and should not be discounted." They ask that all current Algebra I students receive a "national algebra test to assess readiness and address the need for remedial assistance, if necessary."

If students require remediation upon the results of a test at the beginning of the upcoming school year, parents want it to take place in school.

"We, as parents, want tangible steps taken to assure that all policies regarding the adoption or piloting of textbooks, curriculums, learning methodologies, instructional material and instructional technologies are in keeping with standards of educational excellence and are followed by Central Office and the Fairfield Board of Education, in letter and spirit," according to the petition.