Monday, October 19, 2009

Math Warrior = John Saxon

"Results, not methodology, should be the basis of curriculum decisions," was the mantra of John Saxon, the maverick mathematics textbook author and publisher who began fighting failed Progressive math methodologies in 1981. The story of how John's first book on algebra set him on a mission to "turn around American mathematics education," and how he came to develop his embattled program in spite of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics efforts to destroy him and his program, is told in John Saxon's Mathematics Program, A Math Warrior's Almanac--The need for common sense in mathematics education.

Its three chapters, which are excerpts from a biography of John Saxon, describe his budding philosophy, how it evolved into a full belief system, and how his program should be used for greatest impact. It is the result of 14 months of research and writing.

Available in PDF for only $9.00 at http://saxonmathwarrior.com, it offers responses to those who still insist that the Progressives' ideas work, in spite of the 20-year failed history of those ideas.

Once the fee is paid, a user can simply save the PDF and run the pages as wanted for reading or note-taking. You can also e-mail Niki at the following address: nakonia69@saxonmathwarrior.com.

Now is the time to bring John's ideas into policy conversations, especially as recently released national test scores show that American students are still showing dismal knowledge and skills in mathematics.