URGENT!
HAMBER MATH FORUM POSTPONED

TO: All elementary and secondary PAC chairs/school DPAC reps

FROM: Vancouver DPAC executive

DATE: Friday, February 29, 2008

The following late breaking news from Vancouver DPAC

SUBJECT: Hamber Math forum, scheduled for next Thursday, March 6, has been cancelled!

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR PARENT AND TEACHER COMMUNITY. DUE TO THE CANCELLATION BY A PRESENTER AND THE MODERATER, THE HAMBER MATH FORUM, SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 6TH HAS BEEN INDEFINITELY POSTPONED.

Due to reasons not completely clear to Vancouver DPAC, two key participants pulled out of the math forum at the last minute forcing the need to reschedule the event later in the year. The forum was initiated by parents at Hamber in cooperation with the District Parents Advisory Council. In response to parent interest and direction, Vancouver DPAC had been planning such a forum for several years. As a result of a fortuitous coincidence (math literacy and improvement is a school growth objective at Eric Hamber) and local parent interest, a forum had been planed for March 6th. The forum would have had a panel presentation involving a UBC faculty member who specializes in the area and the head of the provincial math PSA. The Hamber principal would have been the moderator. However, at the last moment the moderator and the PSA head pulled out. The reasons are not particularly clear.

Math curriculum continues to be a serious area of concern for many parents in Vancouver. Anecdotal reports suggest serious dissatisfaction with the structure of high school math and a rising tide of parents seeking private out of school tutors for their children.

The BCSPE is currently running a survey on the subject. See earlier post for additional detils