School Official Responds to 'Misinformation' About Math Programs

Assistant Superintendent Daniel Mayer assured parents in an email this afternoon that the popular math enrichment program Math Olympiad will remain in place despite an email from longtime instructor Linda Parker which Parker sent to parents on Sunday night, June 10. He told Westborough Patch that the Parker email was not sent on behalf of the school administration.

Parker’s email infers that math enrichment programs for students will be cut because of cost. “[] Principal Reene Hatherley, the founder of the [Math Olympiad] program and long-time advocate for it, has been unsuccessful in altering the pending changes since the enrichment budget is determined by [Superintendent] Mrs. O’Connor and Dr. Mayer,” wrote Parker. “This year the once-a-week enrichment programs for 232 students cost less than a typical full time paraeducator or half of a first year teacher.”

She said that O’Connor and Mayer decided to discontinue the Math Olympiad enrichment program and grade 3 math enrichment. “Unless budget allocations shift, this is the decision,” she wrote.

Mayer countered her email to parents with one of his own, which was sent on Monday afternoon. “It has been brought to our attention that some misinformation has gone out about changes to our elementary mathematics program,” he said. “Teachers and administrators have spent a great deal of time and effort exploring ways to enhance our mathematics program. As a result of our research efforts, we developed a well thought out plan to restructure our mathematics program.”

Mayer outlined, as follows, three ways in which the math enrichment program would be restructured:

1. For students in grades 4 through 6, daily math instruction time will increase from 43 minutes to 63 minutes a day.
2. The administration is in the process of aligning the curriculum with the new Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and researching whether to purchase a new mathematics program or continue to supplement the current program.
3. A kindergarten through grade 6 Math Science Coordinator position was created to support and train teachers in the area of mathematics. Jenny Deane was hired for the position. “In addition, our mathematics coordinator will take over the Math Olympiad program from Linda Parker. Despite the change in personnel, the program will still exist and still serve students who benefit from additional challenges,” wrote Mayer.  

In her email, Parker specifically addressed the new position for Deane, writing, “Jenny Deane, Westborough’s new half-time coordinator for K-6 math & science curriculums, will absorb managing, planning and teaching of math enrichment. This is in addition to her main focus of assisting over 100 teachers with resources and curriculum to implement the new national math core for all levels of students. Jenny’s full time predecessor was not responsible for teaching or planning math enrichment.”

When asked if Parker was in any way disgruntled, Mayer said he would let his email speak for itself.