Bellevue schools panel gives nod to traditional math text

A Bellevue School District math-textbook committee has recommended that the district adopt Holt Mathematics, a more traditional textbook series than the district currently uses, for middle- and high-school algebra and geometry classes starting in the fall.

After a fall pilot using both Holt and the competing Discovering series, and weeks of debate, the committee said it believed students and parents would find the Holt books more useful when working with their children on math at home.

Discovering is an "inquiry-based" math program designed to lead students to discover math concepts. Teachers and parents on the committee said they feared students struggling with math, and those who speak English as a second language, would not fare as well with the Discovering series.

The committee's choice is only a recommendation and must still be approved by the district's Instructional-Materials Committee and School Board. However, school boards tend to follow the recommendations of their math committees.

The committee's final vote was 18-8 in favor of Holt.

A number of classroom teachers said they preferred the Holt books because they thought they would be easier for parents to use in supporting students at home.

Dallas Evans, a parent on the committee, said he believed district teachers could do well with either textbook series. But he said the district should select textbooks that are best for students when they aren't in class.

"We need to get off the issue that the book has to fit the teacher," Evans said.

Several teachers Thursday night argued that the Discovering textbooks would do a better job if taught in small classrooms, but because classes are large, and expected to grow because of budget cuts, they considered Holt the better option.

School administrators emphasized the district will have to write supplemental curriculum materials because neither series covers the subjects as Bellevue would like.

Several dozen parents watched the committee's deliberations via video feed from an adjacent room, and clapped when a teacher or parent spoke in favor of Holt.

The question of which textbooks best teach algebra and geometry has been a hot-button issue.

Last year, the Seattle School District adopted Discovering for high-school math, which sparked a lawsuit from parents who favor more traditional math instruction. The district lost in court, but has appealed.

The Issaquah School District is also weighing the adoption of a new math curriculum. Its staff has recommended to the board that the district adopt Discovering.

Katherine Long: 206-464-2219 or klong@seattletimes.com