'We want to know the truth': Wake parents request records in math curriculum battle
Karen Carter had never filed a public records request in her life, so she turned to Google. How do you get public records from the Wake County Public School System? A link popped up with directions. With that, the single mother with two children and two jobs began digging.
She wanted to learn more about Wake schools' controversial new Mathematics Vision Project, or MVP, a program she believed was causing her 14-year-old daughter and other students to cry, feel stupid and want to give up on math.
Carter is one of numerous parents who have asked the school system to drop MVP math, a program that encourages critical thinking by having students work together to solve problems instead of providing direct instruction from teachers. She joined several parents at the Wake County Board of Education meeting Tuesday to protest the curriculum and share their frustrations during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Behind the scenes, Carter and at least one other parent have filed dozens of public records requests with the school system to find out why MVP was chosen, how much it costs and whether the program has been successful.
"We've started digging because they won't give us stuff," Carter said, adding that she's requested cost data, bidding proposal documents and other records. "I understand [Wake schools' staff are] overworked, they’re stressed … So is my child. She’s 14 and drowning. That’s what I hear over and over again from these kids."
So far, 16 parents have filed formal complaints with the district about MVP math, according to Wake schools' spokeswoman Sara Clark, who said the parents will receive a response to their complaints on Friday.
"A curriculum review committee comprised of teachers, principals, parents, outside math experts and district employees have reviewed the program," Clark told WRAL News by email.
The district has invested more than $1.4 million since the program launched last year. In a previous statement, Utah-based MVP said its materials "have received top marks in unbiased curriculum reviews, have been selected by numerous school districts and schools for classroom use and have been deployed with great success in the United States and internationally."
Wake County parent Blain Dillard has also been displeased with the program and filed his own public records requests with both Wake County schools and a public school system in Utah, which has ties to the program. He has also emailed math teachers in Wake County and Utah to get their thoughts on the program. He logs the public records requests on a Wake County MVP Parent website.
"I've become a reporter or an investigator. And I really like to call myself more of an investigator than a reporter because it's easy to just report what you see," Dillard said. "It takes work to go and investigate and dig under the covers and really find out what's going on, what's behind what you’re seeing."
During his public comments at Tuesday's school board hearing, Dillard accused Wake schools' staff of withholding an email he requested and said the staff responsible should be fired. Board members did not respond.
Prior to the public comments, board member Chris Heagarty assured the group of parents that he is listening and has been talking with school staff and parents. He has heard conflicting reports about the program, he said.
"I'm going to encourage you to keep reaching out, keep talking, keep having constructive conversations," Heagarty said. "Be open to comments and feedback you get from other parents and see where there is common ground."
Dillard and Carter say they plan to keep digging and asking questions.
"When we don't get answers back or we get sort of political answers or sort of fluffy answers that don't really have a lot of substance to them, then we have to go and do a public records request," Dillard said. "Because we want to know the truth. We’re trying to get to the bottom of the truth."
