NCTM Gavel Passes from Burrill to Lappan
NCTM News Bulletin, April 1998

NCTM has a new president. At the end of the 76th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., outgoing NCTM President Gail Burrill passed the gavel to Glenda Lappan. Lappan's presidential term will last two years.

Lappan knows she takes the helm of the Council at a crucial time and sees the current project to update the Standards for the year 2000 as a centerpiece of her work. "With Standards 2000, we have an opportunity to take the Standards a step further," says Lappan. She points to plans to show the development of mathematical ideas across all grade levels and the opportunity to include clearer examples and better ways to learn. This is also a chance, she says, to reemphasize the fact that in the Standards, the focus is on the mathematics students should learn. (See p. 7 of this News Bulletin for an update on Standards 2000.)

Lappan knows well the goals of the Standards--she chaired the grades 5–8 working group for the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards and chaired the Commission for the Professional Teaching Standards. Since their debut, they've followed a surprising course, notes Lappan. She recalls being pleasantly surprised that the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards were taken so seriously by states and school districts when they were first published ten years ago. Then in recent years, the satisfaction turned to dismay as the public discussions about mathematics, and particularly what the Standards mean, have taken a sometimes ugly turn. Lappan is philosophical about it, saying, "Anytime you have something so influential, people will say 'yes, but'--and that's good," she says, adding, "But I am surprised by the vehemence and polarization of the rhetoric about mathematics education."

Nonetheless, Lappan maintains that discussions about the best ways to teach mathematics are vital. "We as a Council have got to be welcoming to those with different opinions." Clarifying the dialogue in conjunction with Standards 2000 will be part of Lappan's presidential efforts.

Besides seeing Standards 2000 to fruition, Lappan hopes that during her term NCTM can help improve communication between parents and teachers, and ultimately help teachers earn parental support for their children's education. "We simply can't do it alone--we don't have enough time in the classroom," says Lappan. She takes seriously parental concerns about mathematics education and stresses that "parents have the right to know that their children will not be hurt by innovations."

Another of Lappan's goals is to improve NCTM's use of research. "Systemic research can help us make better decisions," she says. She'd like to see NCTM establish a pattern of data gathering and research by the time Standards 2000 comes out. That way we'll be able to measure our progress and identify areas that still need work.

Lappan loves mathematics and can't remember a time when she wasn't doing it. She grew up on a farm in Georgia and might not have pictured herself with a distinguished career in mathematics education were it not for a high school teacher named Sarah Betty Durham. Lappan describes Durham as one of the most influential people in her life. "She was remarkable--and had high expectations. She saw mathematical talent in me and made it clear that I wasn't to waste it. I'm extremely grateful for that."

And it hasn't been wasted. Lappan became a high school mathematics teacher and then a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Michigan State University. She's continually been in the classroom either to teach, to learn, or to help teachers. Over three decades, she's been a volunteer for NCTM in many ways, from speaking at meetings to serving on committees and on the Board of Directors. "I bridge many communities that have a part in setting the future of K–16 mathematics education," she says, a strength that she hopes will benefit the Council during her tenure.

As president, Lappan will lead the NCTM Board of Directors and represent the Council as a whole. To do this well, she needs to know what NCTM members think. "I appreciate people being aggressive about getting their ideas into the pot. I welcome input and even criticism--that's the only way to get smarter," she says.

Gail Burrill, who will continue to serve NCTM as past president for one year, knows she's turning the Council over to good hands. She says, "Glenda has many assets--her warmth, her understanding, her ability to focus the discussion on things that matter, and her recognition that our main task is to teach kids about mathematics."