NCTM and The Math Forum
In 2015 the NCTM Board of
Directors decided to acquire The Math Forum after it was approached by Math
Forum staff and informed that its relationship with Drexel University would be severed.
The Board recognized the potential of The Math Forum and hoped that bringing
the two together would translate into increased NCTM membership and an
expansion of a vibrant community. Unfortunately, NCTM membership has continued
to decline, and now in the third year after the merger, we can no longer
justify two locations and an expense that far exceeds the
revenue it generates.
As stated in this President’s
Message, NCTM has had an annual average operating loss of approximately
$1.5 million for the past 10 years. Last year’s fiscal loss was more than twice
that annual average. Earnings from invested reserves have allowed the Council
to engage in the practice of deficit spending. Simply put, the Council cannot
continue the practice of operating at a budget loss. The NCTM Board of
Directors and its Executive Director have had to make a number of very
difficult decisions to reverse the practice of deficit spending. These
decisions, and more to follow, will affect programs and people with whom many
different members have special relationships. However, the Board of Directors’
primary responsibility is fiduciary and to the future of the organization.
At its July meeting, the
NCTM Board of Directors decided that effective January 1, 2018, in order to
create synergies on staff and among volunteers and reduce expenses, that all full-time NCTM employees would be located in the Reston, Virginia office. The decision
to consolidate all NCTM staff in Reston was not purely a financial one, but was
made for other business reasons as well, including the potential positive energy
The Math Forum staff could have brought to the focused work of the departments
at NCTM headquarters in Reston. Math Forum staff elected not to continue their
employment with NCTM. The Board of Directors is very disappointed in this
outcome, but NCTM is pleased to have been able to extend the Math Forum’s
existence after Drexel ended their relationship with The Math Forum. We thank
each and every member of the Math Forum for their commitment to mathematics
education and hope each of them reconsiders their decision to leave NCTM.
As a professional
organization focused on mathematics teaching and learning, NCTM not only
provides products and services to its members but also engages in political
action and advocacy for its membership. Recently, the Board made a conscious decision
to become more active in speaking out on public
and political issues
that impact the work of mathematics teachers and their students in the classroom.
NCTM is led by an all-volunteer
Board of Directors. The Board conducts the business of the Council while
working in their respective jobs. The Board is always looking for more members
to volunteer for committees, task forces, and to consider running for the Board
of Directors – any NCTM member can self-nominate him or herself to run for the
Board of Directors. The volunteer
contributions of our members are what drive the Council, which ultimately is
only as good as the constructive engagement and contributions of its
volunteers. Additionally, NCTM holds an
open business meeting at each Annual Meeting where the financial standing of
the organization is presented and members can ask questions of the Board. The
Board invites more members to attend the business meeting. We appreciate the
passion The Math Forum discussion has generated among some of NCTM’s members
and look forward to that passion being leveraged to grow, support, and improve
NCTM.
Matt Larson
NCTM President
Robert Berry
NCTM President-Elect