March for Math calls on Wake County Public School System to change how math is taught

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Parents are planning to march outside the Wake County School District Headquarters hoping education leaders hear their cries for change. Parents are upset over the recent implementation of the Mathematics Vision Project, or MVP, and say enough is enough.

The March for Math rally is scheduled for 4:30 on April 23 along Dillard Drive.

"My son's experience has been negative thus far," a mom organizing the march said. "I am hopeful that parents can get together and provide feedback to the school system in order to make changes or improvements. "

WCPSS began adopting the MVP curriculum in the 2017-2018 school year for all Math 1 courses.

"My kid is chasing his tail," wrote one mom on the Parents of MVP Math Students in WCPSS Facebook page.

A former educator wrote, "As a recent teacher..I can tell you MVP is the Most Vile Program of math. Students Learn NOTHING!!!"

The district says on its website the curriculum is student-driven and features performance tasks around solving real-world problems.

Here is how WCPSS describes a typical lesson:

"The MVP classroom experience does not look like the traditional math classroom that students may have experienced in the past. In the MVP classroom the teacher launches a deep mathematical task and then allows students time to work with a partner or small group on solving the task. The teacher circulates among students and encourages them to explore, question, consider, discuss their ideas, and listen to the ideas of their classmates. Then the teacher brings the whole class back together to discuss different solution pathways and the mathematics involved. Therefore, the teacher's role continues to be of utmost importance and central to the successful implementation of the MVP curriculum materials."