As teachers of the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) in Portland we feel compelled to challenge Dr. Betty Tsang's comments and accusations in a recent Point of VIew column. We've tried to overlook and ignore her continual criticism of the curriculum but her mentioning of Portland Public Schools needs addressing.
    We have taught CMP at Portland Middle School for approximately seven years and are totally convinced that, not only is it excellent curriculum, it is far superior ot the "regular math textbooks" that Dr. Tsang refers to. Yes, CMP uses a problem solving approach in presenting math concepts. No, it is not "watered down." We have taught and are familiar with traditional math curricula and would challenge anyone to compare the content with CMP. In her article, Dr. Tsang referred to the Mathematically Correct review of textbooks in which CMP received an F grade. Who exactly is Mathematically Correct? What credentials do they have? Our understanding is that it consists of two husband and wife teams who identified skills that they thought seventh-graders should have. We checked their web site and were amazed that there is no real explanation of their ratings other than their personal opinions. And what about the American Association for the Advancement of Science, who reviewed a dozen middle school math programs and rated them on twenty-four separate criteria? Guess which program came out on top? This professional evaluation was conducted by an independent analysis team made up of classroom teachers and college and university faculty who had extensive knowledge of mathematics content and of research on teaching and learning. CMP was the only curriculum that consistently received scores in the satisfactory range.
    Dr. Tsang states that algebra is "noticeably absent" from the CMP curricula. Has she even looked at the eighth grade CMP content? At eighth grade, our students work with linear, exponential and quadratic functions. The curriculum is nothing BUT algebra. Half of our students in Portland go directly into Geometry as high school freshmen.
    In summary, when everyone is up in arms over our nation's poor showing on the TIMSS (Third International Math and Science Study) in which US students scored third from the bottom among 21 nations participating, why would anyone believe that our "regular math textbooks" are working? To us, the major changes recommended by the TIMSS group seem to describe CMP perfectly. While we certainly recognize her right to her opinions as a parent, she should have all the facts before making unfounded and possibly damaging accusations.

Kathy Dole and John Manzini are Portland Middle School mathematics teachers.