WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. November 22, 2006: Council President Rita Malmud agreed to head up a committee of Tom Roach, Benjamin Boykin and Dennis Power to initiate a series of talks with Westchester County leaders to bring about the closing and relocation of the 85 Court Street County Drop-in Shelter tonight.

Malmud accepted the Mayor’s challenge after 40 minites of acrimonious finger-pointing between the Mayor, and Glen Hockley and Mr. Roach over the Council 4-3 vote to table indefinitely the Mayor’s resolution calling for the county to close the shelter that has been operating since last January at 85 Court Street. The Mayor said it has been there too long, he objected to Mr. Roach’s comment that the resolution was “political” on his part.

The Mayor blustered and bristled that he had exhausted possibilities with the county, that they had “deaf ears.” Mr. Roach said the resolution had the effect of doing nothing except creating acrimony, and that the previous resolution was inflammatory. The mayor insisted it was not political. Mr. Hockley took his fellow council members to task for not voting for the resolution, citing again his statistics from the police department that there were over 500 incidents, involving the homeless from 85 Court Street and 86 E Post Road. Hockley in a prepared statement said this is “a life and death issue, a quality of life issue.”

Mr. Roach called for the Commissioner of Public Safety, Dr. Frank Straub to address the Council in a public meeting on the scope of the demands on police services, appearing to cast doubt on Mr. Hockley’s numbers. The Mayor did not readily endorse Dr.Straub’s appearance. Dr. Straub has been very invisible around city hall the last ten months, and did not appear at the press conference the Mayor, Mr. Hockley and Rick Ammirato of the BID held citing Dr.Straub’s department statistics on the homeless.

After about an hour of discussion on the homeless issue — (more than was spent on the Memorandum of Understanding) — Rita Malmud weighed in between Mr. Roach and the Mayor, stating she felt the resolution would do nothing. The Mayor innocently invited Mrs. Malmud would she try to talk to the county — because he had and they have not responded. Mr. Power said nothing would be gained by the resolution that the Mayor threatened to put back on the agenda for December 4.

Mrs. Malmud, looking somewhat dubious, agreed that she would speak to the county representatives on the issue, and that she would involve Mr. Power, Mr. Roach (who said he had been talking to the county privately on the homeless saturation of White Plains), and Mr. Hockley and Mr. Boykin.  Mr. Boykin suggested the resolution would do nothing and suggested the Mayor had to talk to the county, at which the Mayor blew up and said his letter of some months ago and his efforts had fallen on “deaf ears.”

 

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. “Math In White Plains:” An  Interview with Francis “Skip” Fennell, President  of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.  First of a Series. November 21, 2006: Last winter several White Plains parents addressed the White Plains Board of Education expressing concern that their children were not being taught basic math. One of those parents,  took the case of her 4^th grade daughter whom she said, “was missing significant pieces from her math curriculum, including the use of vertical math computations, and math enrichment.” She stated that “vertical math computations have been completey eliminated from my daughter’s math curriculum,” and that the TERC math instruction program had been implemented without informing parents of the district until January of 2006.

 

The local “math rebellion” was a harbinger of controversy to come. When the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times published articles portraying the new Curriculum Focal Points issued by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics as a change in direction and the failure of conceptual math, WPCNR contacted Francis “Skip” Fennell, of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics  at his office in Reston, Virginia,  to learn where TERC and “conceptual” programs like it fit in with the Curriculum Focal Points.

 

 

Francis “Skip” Fennell, President, National Council Teachers of Mathematics:

The nation’s number one man in Math explains the new emphasis on the Basics.

Photo Capture from NCTM website.

 

The parent stated concerns about the TERC program in the White Plains elementary schools: “My daughter’s overall understanding of math has gone down significantly with the complete implementation of pure TERC and this really caught my attention by December, 2005. Understanding TERC homework and completing them were commonly on issue…my daughter was confused and frustrated because of the wording of the material…she did not have enough math skills learned to answer the homework.”

 

Focal Points Spawn Major News Articles

 

The White Plains parental protest was a harbinger of things to come.

 

Nine months later, the Wall Street Journal and New York Times wrote two articles criticizing the TERC math method and similar conceptual math techniques and making much of the September issuing of a new policy on Focal Points, by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, as admission that conceptual math programs such as TERC were not doing the job.

 

Francis “Skip” Fennell, President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,  issued two scathing letters to both newspapers for their articles. To The New York Times he wrote,

 

“What some refer to as basic skills have always been a fundamental core of elementary school mathematics. Always. But we want more. We want children to understand the mathematics they are learning and we want them to be able to solve problems, which is, in the long run, why we do mathematics. Our recently released Curriculum Focal Points identifies important mathematical topics in each grade, from prekindergarten through eighth grade. It identifies the mathematical content students need to understand deeply and thoroughly for future mathematics learning.

 

It offers a framework to guide states and school districts as they design and organize revisions of their expectations, standards, curriculums and assessment programs.

 

This is not a change, but reflects what has been the council’s commitment to teaching and learning for more than 80 years.”

 

And to the Wall Street Journal, which described the issuance of the Focal Points as “new marching orders,”  Mr. Fennell objected to their editorial labeling of the Focal Points as an admission that math instruction with conceptual math was going in the wrong direction:

 

Contrary to the impression left in your article, learning the basics is certainly not “new marching orders” from the NCTM, which has always considered the basic computation facts and related work with operations to be important. Nor is the new focal-points approach to curriculum development a “remarkable reversal” for NCTM. As stated in NCTM’s 1989 and 2000 standards, conceptual understanding and problem solving are absolutely fundamental to learning mathematics. The council has never promoted estimation “rather than precise answers.” Estimation is a critical component to the overall understanding and use of numbers.”

 

Given the concerns expressed locally by the parents at the January, 2006 Board of Education meeting, which prompted Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors to report the next month, “We do teach basic math,” WPCNR contacted Mr. Fennell at his office in Reston, Virginia,  to learn where TERC and “conceptual” programs like it fit in with the Curriculum Focal Points.

 

 

Mr. Fennell: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics doesn’t get connected in any way with comments relative to a particular textbook or curriculum series that a school district or state might adopt. I know that program (TERC Investigations). It’s fairly new. It’s fairly popular. I know it was negatively criticized in the Wall Street Journal on September 12, when we released our Focal Points.

 

 

WPCNR: You do not endorse one method (curriculum, program) over another?

 

Fennell: We don’t endorse curriculum materials one over another regardless of what the mathematics is, or what the instructional path is so I really can’t comment on that.

 

WPCNR: Why were the Focal Points issued?

 

Fennell: Forty-nine of our 50 states have curriculum guides. They probably range from 20 or so objectives in a given year to over a hundred. The Focal Points is a document – 40 pages – and is to help the local school districts decide among those objectives (in some elementary grades there are over a 100 at particular grade levels) – clearly they’re (all) not of the same level of import or significance at this particular grade level. The Focal Points is to begin the discussion about thinking about the most important content, the most important mathematics at particular grade levels.

             We’re trying to get some coherence in what’s important in terms of the mathematics kids learn at these grade levels. We’re (the states) essentially all over the map. If you look at the New York framework there are certain skills that are introduced in one grade, while in another state they may be introduced in another grade. We’re trying to have a conversation around what’s important and when it is important.

 

WPCNR: Do the focal points put more emphasis on teaching the basic skills to use them more in problem solving?

 

Fennell: We’re certainly calling for fluency in the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers and fractions, but that’s not a departure from things we’ve said in the past. The answer to that (your question) is YES.  I suspect that (and I can’t talk to TERC investigations or any curriculum), that any curriculum would have similar goals.

 

WPCNR: What makes TERC Investigations so popular?

 

Fennell: The TERC Investigations was one of three curriculums supported in the mid to late 90s by the National Science Foundation. I can’t give you a sense of how popular it is. Do I know it’s popular?  Absolutely.  You’re better off talking to TERC. I’m not the right person to talk to about the popularity of any curriculum program.

 

 

WPCNR: The Curriculum Focal Points are essentially saying that some of the objectives are producing test scores are declining?

 

Fennell: When you examine the international math and science data, the person most well-known for professional analysis is Wayne Smith of Michigan State University. When he first carded those scores in the late 90s he sort of pronounced the United States mathematics curriculum “is a mile wide and an inch deep,” meaning treating topics with relative shallowtry. To some extent, the focal points are to begin a discussion about what’s important at various grade levels, and how that’s delivered, whether it’s TERC or Houghton Mifflin or what have you.

 

WPCNR: If we’re a mile wide and an inch deep what has this (math atmosphere) produced?

 

Fennell: What he’s saying is they looked at curriculum from around the country and other countries, including those that scored better than ours in international assessments have fewer topics and go deeper into those topics.

 

WPCNR: Does this say American math students would be doing better if they had a better understanding of certain basics i.e., resulting in your focal points?

 

Fennell: I think you could probably say that a lot of teachers would be interested in a discussion about what is important in my grade level, pick your grade, 3,4,5,6 and then one of the things they need to do is to make sure they (the students) have a pretty solid understanding of  whole numbers…fractions (processes) as it relates to their ability to solve problems in that area.  Teachers, as you well know are driven by the sort of straight test that comes out of the No Child Left Behind Legislation, many of those (tests) if not all of them mirror the curriculum frameworks that have however many objectives they have, and so the (basic) elements themselves and the tests themselves  are sort of shallow in the depths of understanding which they’re able to get kids to note so one can certainly hypothesize that a conversation around what’s really important at these (lower) grade levels could have an impact not only on state frameworks, but potentially, the state tests as well.

 

WPCNR: You’re based in Reston, Virginia. You’re familiar with the Maryland State School System, I was reading a Washington Post article how the Maryland Middle School Schoolers have done extremely well on the state tests, unlike the White Plains middle schoolers. You’re Maryland Middle Schoolers are passing at an excellent rate (68% — 90% on Advanced Math courses in the 8^th grade). What do they do in the lower grades that’ s different?

 

Fennell: What we have here is an apple and oranges situation. The Maryland state test is based on the Maryland Curriculum, the New York State test is based on the New York Curriculum, they’re not one and the same.

 

The National Assessment of Elementary Progress Test

An Overview:

 

Fennell pointed out that the only way you could draw a comparison was to see how Maryland eighth graders and New York State eighth graders did on the National Assessment of Elementary Progress mathetics test, given to a representative selection of districts in each state every two years. (In 2007, 340 schools in New York State have been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in NAEP 2007, according to the NY State Education Department website, www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/naep//home.shtml.

 

The test is 90 minutes long and will assess only one subject (reading or math in grade 4, reading, math or writing at grade 8, and reading and writing at grade 12.) White Plains schools were not sampled in the White Plains School District for 2005 or 2006 NAEP, and no White Plains schools have been selected for NAEP 2007, according to John Burman, Media spokesperson for the NY State Department of Education.

 

WPCNR: Do you have a comment on what Maryland does to produce such extraordinary scores? (Kensington Maryland 8^th graders  achieved the 90% passing at the Algebra I level in 8^th grade, and 67% passing at the 8^th grade math level as a whole — for reference White Plains math passing effort is 58% in 2006, according to the State Education Department) What is the good thing Maryland does in math in the lower grades?

 

Fennell: The Montgomery County Public School District has over a hundred elementary schools, and they have done a lot of work with the school districts on a state level. Donna Washington, the Math Coordinator at the State level has done a lot of work making sure that supervisors are very familiar with what they refer to here as the Voluntary State Curriculum and the assessments that go along with it.  It could be the kind of preparation that begins at the state level and trickles all the way down to the classroom level, in this case, in Kensington.

              

WPCNR: What do they do in Kensington to make such consistent performance?

 

Fennell: The various staffs of the Montgomery County Public Schools deserve some credit for making sure the teachers are up to speed.

 

 

(In the next Part of this Series, WPCNR discusses with the Math Coordinator of the Montgomery County Public Schools, how they approach their math program.)

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WPCNR Across The Field. Special to WPCNR From Kim Wood, WPHS Class of 05, Clarinetist, University of Michigan Marching Band. November 21, 2006: I was at the game on Saturday and it was quite the experience. Everyone was excited for this game and even that’s an understatement. The  atmosphere was so intense in the stadium. I’ve never had to scream so loud just to hear my own voice, which I lost the next day.

The  environment of Columbus wasn’t as hostile as I expected it to be — in the past, Ohio State fans have beaten up Michigan fans, etc. There were  rude remarks here and there, which is expected, but that’s about it.

The band (driving in 6 coach buses) drove down the notorious High St. on campus — it’s a bunch of sorority/frat houses — and the kids outside of the houses were making signs and taunting us. They didn’t have the guts, however, to do any of that when we were walking into the stadium with our uniforms on.  No one was brave enough to.

White Plains own Kim Wood, Sophomore at U ofM and a member of the University of Michigan Marching Band on the sidelines at halftime just before stepping out onto the field for the halftime show, with close friend. Photo, Courtesy, Kim Wood.

 

Kim Wood, Class of 2005 at White Plains High School, former thirdbaser with the White Plains High Softball Team, and clarinet virtuoso, now a member of the 225-person, University of Michigan Marching Band, seen recently at Michigan Stadium. Kim auditions weekly to see if she will be marching with the big band at Michigan football games. Last week she played her way in to the big game. She is one of 40 clarinetists in the band. This is her report on her experience at the game of the century OSU and Michigan in Columbus. Photo, Courtesy, the Wood family.

We arrived at the stadium well before  kickoff as to avoid any sort of problems with fans. When it came time for us to do our pregame, the stadium got very loud. The stadium was  full well before the game started, which I guess isn’t surprising  becaue of the magnitude of the game.

I’ve never heard booing as loud as  I did on Saturday when we ran onto the field for our pregame. Everyone in my section said it was the most tiring pregame they’ve ever done.  The entire stadium was booing us from start to finish and it was very  hard to hear.

As for the game, it was great. It was a game that any  sports fan lives for. It wasn’t one-sided and it was always tense. One  minute I was screaming out of joy, the next I was quiet and depressed.  We really tested them. After that game, it became even clearer that  those two teams really do deserve to be #1 and #2. After the game was over, it seemed like everyone in the stadium rushed the field. It was a  great moment, if you’re a buckeye fan. The fans’ presence was really  felt that day and they were very impressive. They were loud when they
needed to be.

However, the Wolverines clearly never gave up. To keep  the game to a 3-point difference in Ohio Stadium, in that crazy atmosphere, at that level of football is something to be admired. They  deserve to be #2 still (which they are) and I (obviously being somewhat  biased) feel that no other team deserves to play the Buckeyes in the national championship game. We proved that we have the potential to  score against them, which no other team could do. We gave them a run  for their money.

As for the band, we had to wait at least an hour for the Buckeye fans to exit the stadium. The exit was, of course, right  next to our seating area. We had to sit there and watch them mock us with remarks like “Good luck in Pasadena” and “Michigan sucks”, etc.

The fans (and even the band (who arranged it in the 40s) which I find very unclassy) sing this song called “We don’t give a damn for the whole state of Michigan, we’re from Ohio”. They sing it at every game, so, even when they’re not playing us. The fans enjoyed singing that in front of us as they exited the stadium. They were taking pictures of us as well, probably to remember our sad faces.

It seemed like everyone took a piece of the field with them and raised it over their heads like some sort of trophy. One fan decided to through their piece into our band’s section. The field looked like the moon once everyone left — there were so many empty patches that looked like craters. Finally, we exited the stadium quietly, got on the buses and departed Columbus for  Ann Arbor. All things considered, I had the time of my life. The atmosphere in that stadium was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

The game was probably the greatest game I’ve ever seen and I was proud of our football team even though they didn’t completely live up to their name. Both teams/bands are fantastic and have such great tradition. The rivalry between them will always be special and will  never die. Hopefully we’ll be meeting again on Jan. 8 in Glendale, AZ.

P.S. Derek Jeter was at the game as well. He was on the Michigan sideline. He was going to go to Michigan with a baseball scholarship  but decided to go pro instead. I attached a picture I took with him right before our halftime show.

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WPCNR Legacies of White Plains. November 17, 2006: Now that Ron Jackson has died — suddenly — Thursday morning, there’s a real void out there. Who will fill the shoes and stand up at Council meetings, Democratic Committee Meetings and be the Voice of Conscience? That’s who Ron Jackson was. Though he made one big mistake in his life when he was on the White Plains Housing Authority, he did a lot more good than bad and he “spoke truth to power.”

Ron Jackson. The Last Activist. March 2003 shown, wearing his trademark NYPD cap,  outside former Democratic Party Headquarters in White Plains. Photo, WPCNR News Archive

Typical was his fearless volunteering to run for Mayor when the Democratic Party was willing to let Mayor Joseph Delfino walk to a third term unchallenged.  Neither Bill Ryan, Adam Bradley, Glen Hockley, Rita Malmud, Tom Roach or Benjamin Boykin would throw their hat in the ring — afraid they would lose.

 But Ron Jackson was not afraid. He volunteered. He was wheel-chair bound due to a stroke. He did not have much money. But he had heart and he knew it was wrong to throw an election which is what the Democrats were about to. Here is what he told WPCNR about his decision back in 2005, and we reprint the saga of that drama when Ron Jackson stood up and the Democratic Party slapped him down, and ran Dennis Power for Mayor instead.

Perhaps nothing captures the heart of Ron Jackson in his words the night he said he wanted to run.  Here is vintage Ron Jackson:

 

The Man Who Spoke Up and The City Listened

 

Jackson has taken up a series of causes in the last several years that have represented his district, Winbrook, well.

 

His foremost achievement the last two years, in addition to a lifetime of being involved in community issues, was his starting the grass roots effort to save open space on the Bethel Baptist Church square, by leading the petition drive in Winbrook to block erecting a new Housing Authority Headquarters on that square.

 

Jackson’s liaison work with Mayor Joseph Delfino, the city Planning Department, Mack Carter of the Housing Authority and Councilman Glen Hockley helped bring about a consensus that the new White Plains Housing Authority Headquarters should be incorporated into 225 South Lexington Avenue, a breakthrough that is now being built, after the project had stalled for twenty years. Without Jackson’s relentless drawing of attention to the headquarters issue and its effect on residents if poorly situated, the solution most likely would not have come about.

 

In the last year, he advocated and personally lobbied for the renaming of Ferris Avenue to Jerome “Bump” Robinson Boulevard to memorialize a city icon in the African-American community.

 

Most recently he brought to light the city’s quiet plans to revitalize the South Lexington Avenue  corridor near Winbrook which had not been discussed at all with his constituents.

 

In the past, he has spoken up to developers, requesting minorities be given equal opportunity for jobs, and in the distant past, he and Jerome Bump Robinson organized and gave voice to the city’s Winbrook neighborhood, and fought for tenants to be represented on the White Plains Housing Authority. He gave voice to those who had no voice.

 

Jackson, perhaps more than any elected official today questioned issues honestly and was fearless in raising issues that others will not touch. 

 

His qualifications, Jackson said, included his experience with the White Plains Housing Authority, as well as his forty years of community advocacy.

 

Asked about his  writing an unauthorized check while serving on that board, he said he made restitution. He said that was in the past, and in no way should that mistake which he paid for prevent him from seeking office. The charge was a misdemeanor, he said.

 

“People need a change,” Jackson with great dignity told WPCNR speaking from his home Thursday evening. “A leader with street smarts. I’m willing to be the candidate, and will be the people’s Mayor and do the best for my city.”

 

The Jackson Declaration of Candidacy

 

Mr. Jackson made this extemporaneous statement to WPCNR on his past and why he is running while no other Democrat personality has chosen to do so:

 

“I ran for the Housing Authority as a Tenant Commissioner, and from 1972 to 1979 every two years I was reelected. During that time, I committed some indiscretions. I wrote a check, previously made restitution. Went to court and I got five years probation. Now after that, I have kept my nose to the grindstone, and have done the best I can as a district leader for the Democratic Party.

 

All my life I’ve  been a Democrat. Looking at the Party today and with this upcoming election coming, and after consulting with several people, I have made up my mind that I will seek the office of Mayor of the City of White Plains. I would like to run. I’d like to be considered (by the Party).

 

I’d like people to know this is not a joke. This is no game. This is a reality check to anyone that if you can’t find anyone, I am here for the asking. Just ask me and you shall see.

 

Whether I win or lose, at least I’ll have an opportunity to address the issues as it relates from this side of the yard. This side of the yard has been a quiet yard. It hasn’t said much. But there’s a lot to be said as to what the quality of life is here in White Plains, and whether or not, are we getting all of our due process? of all of what we are entitled to in the way of affordable housing, our senior citizens, development, arts, whatever the issue is.

 

Many people will say to you, is the only issue he knows anything about is Winbrook. Well, yes, you’re right about that, but it wouldn’t be hard to learn about neighborhood associations, neighborhood associations are just like people and if they have the opportunity to let someone (me) be their voice, speak for them, they would consider people who have the honesty and sincerity about wanting to do the job and are not politically connected to anyone.

 

I’m not saying anyone’s connected. All I’m saying is that party time is over. Party time has been business as usual. The same brooms sitting in closets. Well, it’s time to sweep the closet. Time to put a new broom some fresh blood.  Do ideas. New abilities. The reason for doing whatever you can for the quality of life for the residents of White Plains.

 

The guy in the office and I come from the same school. And the school is about what do we have to offer. I already know what he does.  Let’s hear what I can do.

 

Stunned at Reluctant Knights and Ladies.

 

“To me it’s an insult to look at the list of people who have been asked to run for the office of Mayor and they refused ( Adam Bradley, Benjamin Boykin, Rita Malmud, Dennis Power, Tom Roach,  Bill Ryan). Did they refuse for their personal agenda, or the party’s interests? And if they did it for the party’s interest, that’s a poor representation of the party’s interests. Since some one in the party does not believe we have interests, I said to them, if you can’t find anybody, I’ll run.

 

I’m now saying publicly, I’d like to seek the office of Mayor, and I am saying at the next City Committee meeting, which is the 24^th,  I would hope that my name would be placed on the floor as a serious candidate for Mayor.

 

I do not own a house. I do not have a garage But I live in a building with some people and that should not be exclusionary, I hope not.

 

I still live in America. When I got up this morning I’m in America, and I say to you tonight, Mr. Bailey,let me just move forward with what I think is the most simple idea in the world, go out there and see what you can do for the betterment of people that you care about.

 

I’ve always been about caring. Whether people believe me or not, I think I can do the job. I think I have just as much ability (as the Mayor). I do not have a Master’s Degree but I have street smarts.

I’m a new broom to sweep clean. Those brooms have been in the closet so long. They’re tired. The brooms are tired.

 

Now we’re going in the 21^st century. Let’s see if we can find something new, refreshing, a breath of life. I think I can be just the breath of life to at least inspire our young people, whether they be African Americans, or just people to get out to be involved.

 

We know our city is a growing city. I’d like to be given the opportunity to serve all our residents. To hold the most sincere thing is the quality of life in White Plains, I will do that to the best of my ability.

 

I’m here for the asking. Come see about me.

 

White Plains will not have Ron Jackson watching out for us any more.

 

I will miss him.

 

Another “Ron Jackson” needs to step up.