By Andrea Genovese Soares (February 25, 2004)

Approximately 90 students in four classes have been introduced to different math teachers over the past two weeks after Mr. David Van Vleet, the former Math CIRT (Curriculum Instructional Resource Teacher), resigned to take a position of Supervisor for Middle School Math in Fairfax County Public Schools at the end of the semester. 

Junior Gavin Keens, left, gets assistance  from new math teacher Gia Hinman. Ms.  Hinman, who has taught math all over the world, had been a substitute teacher at  Mason for over a year when Mr. Van Fleet moved on to Fairfax County.  (Photo by Andrea Genovese Soares)	Ms. Janet Weber, longtime math teacher,  has been named Math CIRT for grades  K-12. Coupled with Mr. Van Vleet’s departure, this means that 90 students have been assigned new math teachers.  (Photo by Andrea Genovese Soares)

Consequently, Mrs. Janet Weber, who has been teaching at GM since 1986, has taken over his former position, having to drop two of her classes in the process. Now, Ms. Gia Hinman, who has been a substitute at GM since the fall of 2002, but has taught math all over he world, has taken over two Algebra I classes previously taught by Mr. Van Vleet and one of Ms. Weber’s Function classes. Also, Mrs. Petillo took over Mrs. Weber’s Algebra II/Geometry class. 

Now the Math CIRT, Ms. Weber asserted, "Change like this is unsettling to students and teachers in the middle of the year, but it was done as smoothly as possible." The administration has sent out letters to all the affected students and their parents, explaining the situation. 

Ms. Hinman said, "At George Mason, we usually haven’t had more than one teacher teaching the same course, but we are working on keeping it consistent. I mean, I’ll explain things in my own words and be my own person in class, but you still have the same class. So, Functions is Functions is Functions, no matter who teaches it. We are working on it together."