An Open Letter in Support of California's
Standards System for K-12 Education
Faculty members and administrators from colleges and universities in
California are invited to add their names and affiliations to the open
letter below. The letter is self-explanatory, but you may be interested
in some background information posted at:
http://www.csun.edu/~vcmth00m/backgroundinfo.html
The above web page is for information purposes only. Signing the
letter does not signify agreement with any statements on that
page. The open letter speaks for itself.
To add your name to the letter, send your name and affiliation to David
Klein at: david.klein@csun.edu
Open Letter
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger and Members of the California Legislature;
In an open letter dated July 7, 2006, former governors Gray Davis and
Pete Wilson expressed unambiguous support for California's K-12
academic content standards, curriculum frameworks, instructional
materials, and tests aligned to the standards. They warned that
dismantling California's system for K-12 education would be "a
disastrous step backward." The excerpts below express key points from
the governors' letter:
Standards provide a measure of
excellence regardless of one’s skin
color, family income, or zip code. We took a standards-based
approach in California because we believe that if we set expectations
high, students will respond. Not every child will fully meet the
challenge, but all will benefit from the effort.
A standards-and-assessments approach means that no matter which
neighborhood or region of the state a child is from, that child should
be held to the same high expectations. It means that we will not
give up on some children by building a less rigorous program for them.
To do so would mean holding them back and limiting their future.
To provide those children a lesser academic challenge would be to
insult them and might well cheat them out of realizing their full
potential. Instead, when children begin school, we should address
whatever deficits in academic readiness they may bring to the classroom
through early and effective remedial attention -- not by creating an
educational apartheid of lesser standards.
Standards also provide a way to measure progress and base decisions on
objective evidence, not education fads. And they provide a
measurable way to show how California’s public schools are improving
over time.
...The essential ingredients -- the core content standards, curriculum
frameworks, instructional materials, and tests aligned to the standards
-- are now all in place and provide solid cornerstones for the work
that must take place in schools across our great state. For a number of
years now, students, parents, educators, and governors have known what
is expected, what progress has been made, and what shortcomings
still exist. These cornerstones provide much needed stability -- more
stability than California schools have known in decades...
Having rigorous academic standards does not by itself guarantee that
the teaching, textbooks, and student effort needed to meet those
standards will be there. But the absence of such standards would
undoubtedly guarantee that far too many of our schools and our children
would fail to fulfill their potential.
Further steps need to be taken to make sure that each student who
enrolls in a California public school receives a high quality education
which prepares that student for success in a rapidly changing
world. But through California’s rigorous academic standards and
accountability system, the foundation is solidly in place.
Undoing California’s present high academic standards would be a
disastrous step backward. It would leave far too many children woefully
unprepared for the challenges and demands they will face in today’s
ever more fiercely competitive global marketplace.
We agree with these views of Governor Davis and Governor Wilson.
College preparedness depends in large measure on the integrity of
K-12 academic standards and assessment. As faculty members of
California's colleges and universities, we strongly urge you to support
the continuation of California's K-12 education policies, including the
academic content standards, curriculum frameworks, instructional
materials, and tests aligned to the standards.
Sincerely (endorsements are listed alphabetically),
Alexander Alekseenko
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Larry G. Allen, Chair
Department of Biology
California State University, Northridge
William R. Allen
Professor of Economics
University of
California, Los Angeles
Jorge Balbas
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
R. James Barnard
Professor of Physiological Science
University of
California, Los Angeles
Nagwa Bekir
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
California State University, Northridge
Maria Elena de Bellard
Assistant Professor
of Biology
California State University, Northridge
Sheri Berger
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Los Angeles Valley College
George Biriuk
Emeritus Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Wayne Bishop
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Los Angeles
Julio R. Blanco
Professor of Physics and Dean
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
California State University, Bakersfield
David W. Brady
McCoy Professor, Graduate School of Business
Professor,
Department of Political Science
Deputy Director & Senior Fellow,
Hoover
Institution
Stanford University
Jared Burch
Math and Statistics Instructor
College of the Sequoias
Stanley Burstein
Emeritus
Professor of History
California State University, Los Angeles
Ana Cristina Cadavid, Chair
Department of Physics and Astronomy
California State University, Northridge
Gunnar Carlsson
Professor of Mathematics
Stanford University
Jim Castro
Lecturer in Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Professor Gail Chabran,
Division Dean
Communications & Languages
Rio Hondo College
Mei-Chu Chang
Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Riverside
Alexandre Chorin
University Professor
Department of Mathematics
University of California, Berkeley
Martin L. Cody
Emeritus and Research Professor of Biology
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Los Angeles
Ralph Cohen
Professor of Mathematics
Stanford University
Peter Collas
Professor of Physics
California State University, Northridge
Edward I. Condren
Professor of English and Medieval Studies
University of California, Los Angeles
Charles Crittendon
Emeritus
Professor of Philosophy
California State University, Northridge
Paula Diaconescu
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
University of California, Los Angeles
Paula DiMarco
Assistant Professor of Art
California State University, Northridge
Rabia Djellouli
Associate Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Maria-Rita D'Orsogna
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Benjamin T. Duran, President
Merced Community College District
Merced, California
Elva Duran
Professor of Special Education & Language & Literacy
California State University, Sacramento
John Dye
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Bill Evers
Research Fellow
Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Hussein Fahs
Department of Mathematics
Oxnard College
Lynn Fauth
Professor of English
Oxnard College
Past President, English Council of California Two-Year Colleges
Lorraine Foster
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Terry Fuller
Associate Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Eric Gans
Professor of French
University of California, Los Angeles
Gerald Gillespie
Emeritus Professor of German Studies and Comparative Literature
Stanford University
Elma Gonzalez
Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Los Angeles
Kamel Haddad, Chair
Mathematics Department,
California State University, Bakersfield
Charles Hagopian
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Sacramento
Joseph Hajdu
Professor of Chemistry
California State University, Northridge
Francine Hallcom
Emeritus Professor of Chicano Studies
California State University, Northridge
Douglas Hammond
Professor of Earth Sciences
University of Southern California
Tim Hart
, Chair
School of
Criminal Justice
ITT Technical Institute -
Clovis,
California
Harry Hellenbrand
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
California State University, Northridge
Daniel Hone
Director of Outreach & Education
Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics
University of California, Santa Barbara
Werner Horn
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Professor of Mathematics
Rio Hondo College
Ronald A. Iltis
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of California, Santa Barbara
Raymond V. Ingersoll
Professor of Geology
Principal Investigator, California Science Project
University of California, Los Angeles
Carol Jago
Director, California Reading and Literature Project
Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
University of California, Los Angeles
Vaughan Jones
Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Berkeley
Fields Medalist
Sheldon Kamienny
Professor of Mathematics
University of Southern California
Richard Katz
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Los Angeles
J. Lee Kavanau
Emeritus Professor of Biology
University of California, Los Angeles
Steve Kerckhoff
Professor of Mathematics
Stanford University
Nick Kioussis
Professor of Physics
Director of the Computational Materials Theory Center
California State University, Northridge
David Klein
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Steven G. Krantz
Deputy Director
American Institute of Mathematics
Palo Alto, California
Jean Claude Latombe
Kumagi Professor, School of Engineering
Department of Computer Science
Stanford University
Paul Lee
Professor of Physics
California State University, Northridge
Doron Levy
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Stanford University
Peter Li
Chancellor's Professor
Department of Mathematics
University of California, Irvine
Say Peng Lim
Professor of Physics
California State University, Northridge
Darren Long
Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Santa Barbara
Daniel H. Lowenstein
Professor of Law
University of California, Los Angeles
Zhiqin Lu
Associate Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Irvine
Steve P. Lund
Professor of Geophysics
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Southern California
Matthew Malkan
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Los Angeles
Igor G. Malyshev
Professor of Mathematics
San Jose State University
Harold Martinson
Professor of Biochemistry
University of California, Los Angeles
Rafe Mazzeo
Professor of Mathematics
Stanford University
Ronald Mellor
Professor of History
University of California, Los Angeles
Geoffrey Mess
Associate Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Los Angeles
Aida Metzenberg
Professor of Biology
California State University, Northridge
Stan Metzenberg
Associate Professor of Biology
California State University, Northridge
R. James Milgram
Professor of Mathematics
Stanford University
Dave Moon, Interim Dean
College of Arts, Media, and Communication
California State University, Northridge
Mark Morris
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Los Angeles
Mutombo Nkulu-Nsengha
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
California State University, Northridge
Robert C. Noel
Emeritus Professor of Political Science
University of California, Santa Barbara
Maria Helena Noronha, Chair
Department of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Bozena Onzol
Lecturer in Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Steven B. Oppenheimer
Professor of Biology
Director, Center for Cancer and Developmental Biology
California State University, Northridge
Trustees Outstanding Professor, the California State University System
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Roland J. Otto, Head
Center for Science and
Engineering Education
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Curtis Paul
Professor of Mathematics
Moorpark Community College
Judea Pearl
Professor of Computer Science
University of California, Los Angeles
Vicki A. Pedone, Associate Dean
College of Science and Mathematics
California State University Northridge
Peter Petersen
Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Los Angeles
Rena Petrello
Professor of Mathematics
Moorpark Community College
Tihomir Petrov
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Edie Pistolesi
Professor of Art
California State University, Northridge
Jacek Polewczak
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Yat Sun Poon
Professor of Mathematics
University of California at Riverside
David Protas
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Olga Radko
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Los Angeles
S. K. Ramesh, Dean
College of Engineering and Computer Science
California State University, Northridge
Radha Ranganathan
Professor of Physics
California State University, Northridge
Dan S. Ray
Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
Molecular Biology Institute
University of California, Los Angeles
John Redden
Professor of Mathematics
College of the Sequoias
Tracy Redden
Professor of Mathematics
College of the Sequoias
B.C. Regan
Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Los Angeles
Marc A. Rieffel
Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Berkeley
Jim Riley
Mathematics Instructor
Hartnell College
John G. Riley
Professor of Economics
University of California, Los Angeles
Paul Roscelli
Professor of Economics/Law/Accounting
Phi Theta Kappa Advisor
Cañada
College, Redwood City
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Mary Rosen
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Ben Rosenbloom
School of Policy, Planning and Development
University of Southern California
John L. Rosenfeld
Emeritus
Professor of Geology
University of California, Los Angeles
Gabriel Rossman
Assistant Professor of Sociology
University of California, Los Angeles
Manuel Salazar III
Education Department
West Coast Baptist College
Charles G. Sammis
Professor of Geophysics
University of Southern California
Martin Scharlemann
Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Santa Barbara
Nancy Schneider
Nursing Instructor
College of the Sequoias
Richard Schoen
Professor of Mathematics
Stanford University
Martha Schwartz
Paleomagnetism Laboratory
University of Southern California
B.A. Sethuraman
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Carol Shubin
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Tatiana Shubin
Professor of Mathematics
San Jose State University
Barry Simon
IBM Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
California Institute of Technology
Martha Simon
Lecturer in Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
Theodore Slaman
Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Berkeley
Jack Solomon
Professor of English
California State University, Northridge
C. A. Spengel
Lecturer in Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
James Stein
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Long Beach
Cindy D. Stern
Professor of Philosophy
California State University, Northridge
Jerry Stinner, Dean
College of Science and Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
P. K. Subramanian, Chair
Department of Mathematics
California State University, Los Angeles
Terence Tao
Professor of Mathematics
University of California Los Angeles
Fields Medalist
Ron Taylor, Vice President
Academic Services
Chabot College
Hayward, California
G.B. Tennyson
Emeritus Professor of English
University of California, Los Angeles
Stella Theodoulou, Dean
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
California State University, Northridge
Abigail
Thompson
Professor
of
Mathematics
University
of California,
Davis
Javier Trigos-Arrieta
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Bakersfield
Martin Trow
Emeritus Professor of Public Policy
University of California, Berkeley
Richard R. Vance
Associate Professor
of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Los Angeles
Andrei Verona
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Los Angeles
Cathy L. Watkins
Professor of Special Education
California State University, Stanislaus
Gary Williams
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Los Angeles
Edward L. Wright
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
University of California, Los Angeles
Hung-Hsi Wu
Professor of Mathematics
University of California, Berkeley
Ali Zakeri
Professor of Mathematics
California State University, Northridge
_____________________________
The following academics, outside of
California, who have contributed to
California's education policies also endorse this open letter:
Doug Carnine
Professor of Education
University of Oregon
(Consultant for the 1997 Mathematics Framework)
Ralph Raimi
Professor of Mathematics
Univesity of Rochester
(Member of the 1999 Content Review Panel for California math textbooks)
Diane Ravitch
Research Professor of Education
New York University
(One of the original writers of the California History-Social
Science
Framework, adopted in 1988 and 1998)
Sandra Stotsky, Ed.D.
Consultant in Education
Brookline, Massachusetts
(Consultant for California English language arts and reading standards)