S5394 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 9, 1997 course, that is the crux of the problem. test, they should just call them ‘impres- New-New Math is also vaguely allied with I was looking at all of the above. sions,’ and if you got a different ‘impression,’ an alleged new field of study called This textbook tries to be all things so what, can’t we all be brothers?’’ ethnomathematics. Most of us may think Pretty funny. But it’s hard for satire to to all students in all subjects and the that math is an abstract and universal dis- stay ahead of actual events these days, par- cipline that has little to do with ethnicity. result is a mush of multiculturalism, ticularly in education. The ‘‘New-New But a lot of ethnomathematicians, who are environmental and political correct- Math,’’ as it is sometimes called, has a high- busy holding conferences and writing books, ness, and various disjointed discussions minded goal: Get beyond traditional math say that all peoples have a natural on a multitude of topics which cer- drills by helping students understand and culturebound mathematics. Western math, tainly is bound to confuse the students enjoy mathematical concepts. But in prac- in this view, isn’t universal but an expres- trying to learn and the teachers trying tice, alas, the New-New Math is yet another sion of white male culture imposed on non- educational ‘‘Deep Thought.’’ whites. Much of this is the usual ranting to teach from such unfocused nonsense. Basic skills are pushed to the margin by It is not just nonsense, it is unfocused about ‘‘Eurocentrism.’’ Ethnomathematics, theory and the idea that students should not a book of collected essays, starts by remind- nonsense, which is even worse. be passive receivers of rules but self-discov- ing us that ‘‘Geographically, Europe does not Mathematics is about rules, memo- erers, gently guided by teachers, who are co- exist, since it is only a peninsula on the vast rized procedures and methodical think- learners, not authority figures with lessons Eurasian continent. . . .’’ Before long, there ing. We do memorize the multiplica- to impart. Correct answers aren’t terribly is a reference to ‘‘the so-called Pythagorean tion tables, don’t we? Else how will one important. Detractors call it ‘‘whole math,’’ theorem.’’ Much of the literature claims that know that nine 8s are 72 and that eight because students frequently end up guessing nonliterate peoples indicated their grasp of at answers, just as children exposed to the math in many ways, from quilt patterns to 9s are 72. This new-new mush-mush ‘‘whole language’’ fad in English classes end math will never produce quality engi- an ancient African bone cut with marks that up guessing at words they can’t pronounce. may have been used for counting. neers or mathematicians who can com- ‘‘Although the Wicked Whole-Language It’s all rather stunning nonsense, but this pete for jobs in the global market Witch is dying, the Whole-Math Witch isn’t is where multiculturalism is right now. Un- place. In Palo Alto, CA, public school even ill,’’ said Wayne Bishop, professor of less you are headed for an engineering school math students plummeted from the mathematics at California State University- working with Yoruba calculators, or unless 86th percentile to the 56th in the first Los Angeles. you wish to balance your checkbook the an- Mathematically Correct, a San Diego- year of new-new math teaching. This cient Navajo way, it’s probably safe to ig- based group which strongly opposes whole nore the whole thing. awful textbook obviously fails to do in math, recently posted a list of command- 812 pages what comparable Japanese ments on its Web site, including ‘‘Honor the Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I yield the textbooks do so well in 200. The aver- correct answer more than the guess,’’ ‘‘Give floor. I suggest the absence of a age standardized math score in Japan good grades only for good work,’’ and ‘‘Avoid quorum. is 80. In the United States it is 52. vague objectives.’’ The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. When my staff contacted Marianne Bologna sandwich? Those vague objectives ENZI). The clerk will call the roll. Jennings to obtain a copy of this text- include meandering exercises that have little The bill clerk proceeded to call the to do with math, such as illustrating data book, I did learn one good thing about roll. collection by having second-graders draw Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask it. She told my staff that because of pictures of their lunch, then cut the pictures public outcry the public schools in her out and put them in paper bags. Worse, the unanimous consent that the order for area have discontinued its use and have New-New Math comes with the usual stew of the quorum call be rescinded. gone back to traditional math text- ed-school obsessions about feelings, self-es- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without books. Another useful purpose has been teem, dumbing down, and an all-around po- objection, it is so ordered. served by my personal perusal of this litically correct agenda. f Marianne Jennings, a professor at Arizona textbook. I now have a partial answer State University, found that her teenage THE 1997 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION to my question about why we don’t daughter was getting an A in algebra but had DETROIT RED WINGS produce better students despite all the no idea how to solve an equation. So Jen- Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise money that Federal taxpayers shell nings acquired a copy of her daughter’s text- out. book. The real title is Secondary Math: an today to pay tribute to the 1997 Stan- The lesson here is for parents to fol- ‘‘Integrated Approach: Focus on Algebra,’’ ley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. low Marianne Jennings’ lead and take but Jennings calls it ‘‘Rain Forest Algebra.’’ Following Saturday night’s 2 to 1 vic- It includes Maya Angelou’s poetry, pic- a close look at their children’s text- tory in game four of the NHL finals, tures of President Clinton and Mali wood completing the Wings series sweep of books to be sure that the new-new carvings, lectures on what environmental math and other similar nonsense has the Philadelphia Flyers, the sports sinners we all are and photos of students world has taken notice of what those of not crept into the local school system. with names such as Tatuk and Esteban ‘‘who All the Federal dollars we can chan- offer my daughter thoughts on life.’’ It also us from Michigan have known for nel for education cannot counteract contains praise for the wife of Pythagoras, years, that Detroit is the home of the the disastrous effect of textbooks like father of the Pythagorean theorem, and asks best hockey team, and the greatest this one. They will produce dumb-dumb students such mathematical brain teasers as hockey fans, on the planet. After a ‘‘What role should zoos play in our society?’’ students and parents need to get heav- long 42-year absence, the Stanley Cup However, equations don’t show up until Page has returned home to Hockeytown ily involved to reverse that trend now! 165, and the first solution of a linear equa- Mr. President, I ask that an article USA. tion, which comes on Page 218, is reached by Sometimes in sports certain teams from the May 26 edition of U.S. News guessing and checking. and World Report on the same subject Jennings points out that Focus on Algebra capture fans’ imaginations in a way that embodies the spirit of an entire be printed in the RECORD at this point. is 812 pages long, compared with 200 for the The title of the article is, ‘‘That so- average math textbook in Japan. ‘‘This city. The 1984 Tigers were so good they called Pythagoras.’’ would explain why the average standardized dominated the game of baseball from score is 80 in Japan and 52 here,’’ she says. the first pitch of opening day through There being no objection, the article Marks do seem to head south when New-New was ordered to be printed in the the last out of the World Series. The Math appears. In well-off Palo Alto, Calif., 1989 Pistons, with their gritty, tough RECORD, as follows: public-school math students dropped from the 86th percentile nationally to the 58th in style of defensive play were the ulti- [From the U.S. News & World Report, May mate blue collar champions. So it is 26, 1997] the first year of New-New teaching, then went back up the next year to the 77th per- also the case of this year. THAT SO-CALLED PYTHAGORAS centile when the schools moderated their ap- The 1997 Red Wings have inspired De- (By John Leo) proach. troit in a similar manner. These play- ‘‘Deep Thoughts’’ started as Jack Handy’s The New-New Math has become a carrier ers have experienced recent disappoint- running joke on TV’s Saturday Night Live— for the aggressive multiculturalism spread- ment. They came so close to the title a series of mock-inspirational messages ing inexorably through the schools. Lit- the previous two seasons, eliminated in about life that make no sense at all. Now erature from the National Council of Teach- ‘‘Deep Thoughts’’ are available on greeting ers of Mathematics, which is promoting the finals by New Jersey in 1995 and in cards, including one that pokes fun at the whole math, is filled with suggestions on the semifinals by Colorado in 1996, only fuzzy new math in the schools. The card how to push multiculturalism in arithmetic to be denied. However, where lesser says: ‘‘Instead of having ‘answers’ on a math and math classes. teams would have crumbled under the June 9, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5395 weight of such adversity, this team they saw was nothing less than posi- exemption. Many times, an audit by learned from its losses, and came back tive. The Stanley Cup Champion Red the Internal Revenue Service is an in- with even greater determination and Wings are one of brightest lights in a dication that you are using part of focus. city that has a great deal of which to your home for business, and because of While I salute the entire Detroit Red be proud. that, you are going to claim a deduc- Wings’ organization for their achieve- Mr. President, prior game 1 of the tion for part of the costs of your home ment, there are a few individuals in finals, I made a friendly wager with our because you are running your business particular who deserve special recogni- colleague Senator RICK SANTORUM from out of that home. tion. Capt. Steve Yzerman has brought Pennsylvania, on the outcome of the The Internal Revenue Service fre- so many highlights to Detroit Red series. Senator SANTORUM unwisely bet quently approaches taxpayers and says, Wings fans over the years, his name Philadelphia Tastykakes. ‘‘Look, we think there is a violation.’’ clearly deserves mention in the same Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- The burden is upon that individual to breath as past greats such as Gordie sent to display them here at this time. prove they are innocent. So, obviously, Howe, Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel, and Alex The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without the individuals have a great respon- Delvecchio. No one has played harder objection, it is so ordered. sibility to keep good records and ac- through more pain or is more respon- Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, these count for all their expenditures, and sible for this Stanley Cup than Steve Tastykakes were the bet of the Senator whatnot, so that they can justify what- Yzerman. With his unassuming manner from Pennsylvania to our Little ever it is they are doing in the way of off the ice and fierce competitiveness Caesars pizzas from Detroit. I might business which may allow them a tax on, for 14 years this exceptional man add that Red Wings’ owner Mike Illitch deduction, for example. has been a credit to the Red Wings and is also the owner of Little Caesars. On the other hand, I think the agents the city of Detroit, and for this, he de- While I now have some bragging rights for the Internal Revenue Service have serves our thanks. on the floor of the Senate, the real win- a particularly awesome responsibility With this championship, Coach Scot- ners will be the students at Warren G. because of the added powers that we ty Bowman has now won seven Stanley Harding Elementary School in Detroit. grant to them. I just share with this Cups, more than any other coach in The kids will soon taste the sweetness body that I have held more than 56 NHL history. Goalie Mike Vernon, of the Red Wings success as Senator town meetings since the first of the named MVP of the playoffs, was simply SANTORUM ships 300 boxes of these year and have been very busy in talk- masterful in the net throughout the se- Tastykake cupcakes for a victory ing to the people of Colorado—I rep- ries. Then there are the five Russian party at the school in the next week or resent the State of Colorado—and hear- immigrant players—Sergei Fedorov, two. And to make it extra special, in a ing about their concerns. It is not sur- Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov, Slava show of true sportsmanship, Little prising that the most frequent issue Fetisov, and Vladmir Konstantinov— Caesars will provide pizzas to the stu- that came up in the town meetings was each of whom played a vital role in the dents at Harding as well. related to taxes. People wanted capital success of this team. The Red Wings We look forward to celebrating our gains reduction; they wanted inherit- had so many leaders, such as Brendan victory of the Stanley Cup with the ance tax reduction. Shanahan, Kirk Maltby, Darren students of Harding Elementary School But along with all this concern, they McCarty, and others, that I am afraid I in the weeks ahead. talked about their relationship with can’t mention them all here. Mr. Presi- I thank you, yield the floor, and sug- the Internal Revenue Service. A lot of dent, virtually everybody’s contribu- gest the absence of a quorum. them felt there was abuse of power by tion on the team should be highlighted The PRESIDING OFFICER. The the Internal Revenue Service. today. clerk will call the roll. There was a decision made last week Most important, one final tribute The assistant legislative clerk pro- by U.S. District Judge William Downes needs to be reserved for team owner ceeded to call the roll. which I think highlights another case Mike Illitch. Mr. Illitch’s commitment Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask of taxpayer abuse by the Internal Reve- to making the Red Wings the best unanimous consent that the order for nue Service. hockey team in the NHL mirrors his the quorum call be rescinded. Carole Ward was awarded $250,000 in dedication to making the city of De- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without punitive damages by the Federal Gov- troit the finest city in America. His ef- objection, it is so ordered. ernment from the Internal Revenue forts with the Red Wings are really Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, my un- Service for wrongfully publicizing in- just an extension of his care and con- derstanding is that we are in morning formation about her. After auditing cern for Detroit. Whatever this city business with up to 5 minutes each. Ward’s children’s clothing stores— has sought, whether it be economic de- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- these were young adults, children who velopment or the return of the Stanley ator has up to 10 minutes. decided to go into business for them- Cup, Mike Illitch has tried to be part of f selves—after auditing the Ward’s chil- the solution. dren’s clothing stores, the Internal INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE In fact, this championship is only one Revenue Service seized the stores and small indicator of the rebirth of De- Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise demanded $325,000 in back taxes. The troit. It has been many years since oth- this afternoon because I would like to Internal Revenue Service agents told ers have looked to this city for inspired talk a little bit about the relationship passersby that Ward was involved in examples of urban renewal. Without of the citizens of this country to their drug dealing. question, however, current develop- Government, in this particular case, to Judge Downes was very harsh on the ments in Detroit are quickly rendering the Internal Revenue Service. There is Internal Revenue Service, saying, such negativism a thing of the past. a real burden on most enforcement ‘‘This court gives notice to the Inter- Detroit is truly a city whose best days agencies. When they accuse somebody nal Revenue Service that reprehensible are yet to come, and great credit is due of a crime, they have the burden of abuse of authority by one of its em- to the leadership of individuals like showing beyond a reasonable doubt ployees cannot and will not be toler- Mike Illitch and Mayor Dennis Archer that the crime was actually committed ated.’’ for making this goal a reality. by that particular individual. That He went on to describe the behavior For today, as we celebrate the Red type of burden doesn’t exist with the of some Internal Revenue Service Wings we also celebrate the city of De- Internal Revenue Service; for whatever agents as grossly negligent and they troit. The only thing missing from Sat- reason, your name may come up for an acted with reckless disregard for a law urday night’s victory was the violence audit, maybe because of some type of a meant to assure Americans that their and mischief that so often mars such filing that you did in your income tax tax matters are handled with confiden- achievements, a fact which should not form that sets off the computer alarms, tiality. be overlooked. The eyes of the sporting whatever system that they have. While the vast majority of Internal world were on the Detroit Red Wings That is one of the reasons why I am Revenue Service agents and employees and their fans this weekend, and what pushing legislation for a home office are dedicated public servants who work