Mathematics Educator Alice Hach Retires

Miss Alice Hach, mathematics coordinator for the I Ann Arbor Schools for the I past 11 years, retired this I year from a long career as a teacher and adviser of Mathematics programs. She has been a member of numerous local and national math organizations, including I the National Council of Mathematics, has co-authored two junior high textbooks, and most recently worked with I the United States Office of Education on a project to standardize terminology in math and other subjects. Asked what a coordinator in math really does, Miss Hach quietly explained: "Many things that I wish were done when I taught I try to do now as a consultant. There needs to be someone to coordinate and pull things together. My position is for kindergarten through 12th grade so I can pull together the elementary, junior high and senior high math programs. When I first started here we used four texts in the júnior high and now we use 15. "This is an example of the variety and flexibility of the program that is now available to the students. I also keep track of new materials that are available for classroom teachers. This summer, as an example of behind-the scenes work, I will be on a committee to design courses that will be elective. Mostly, I work on a lot of small details to keep things working smoothly." Small details. Insignificant? H a r d 1 y , for Miss Hach's work is vital to the education of Ann Arbor students. Having been active in m a n y professional m a t h organizations, Miss Hach was able to introduce the 'new math" to the Ann Arbor schools in 1960, ahead of other schools. She also has a knack for inventing games and puzzles for children to get them to like math. Mrs. Louis Deising, a former teacher who has known Miss Hach for 35 years, described her as a special kind of teacher. "She is a creative person, one who could get youngsters to really like math. She did it by using games and devices; she is very inventive." Asked why she uses games and puzzles in teaching math, Miss Hach said enthusiastically: "Math learning can be fun. Fun for both students and teachers. When it isn't fun for students it shows a lack of understanding. If a teacher doesn't like it, it shows that he probably had bad experiences with it as a child. And, I don't think we should stick to a rigid approach, allowing only one way. There are many approaches to a problem solving and they should be open to all students. That's why we use so many different texts." Born on a farm in Gladbrook, Iowa, shortly after her parents moved there in 1907, Miss Hach plans to return to the farm later this year. She thoughtfully described the farm: "It has a big lawn, an orchard, livestock and we raise corn and soybeans. When I retire. I am going to manage the farm for two i years and then I'll be free I and fancy. Three of us in the family have an interest in the I farm and for a while I'll be the one who will manage it. Asked about any particular hobbies she may have, Miss Hach said: "I like to do some gardening, but mostly I like the outdoors and being with people. When I go to Iowa I am going to visit many of our family friends and I am going to have a big school reunion with my teaching friends in Iowa." Miss Hach taught in Iowa from 1928 to 1942 and received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1939. She explained, "That was the time when you could teach after two years of college on a provisional certificate." She then taught two years at Racine, Wis., before coming to Ann Arbor in 1944. Harold Logan, former principal at Slauson School, described her 10 years of teaching there as first rate. "She's excellent with children and a very fine mathematics teacher - one of the top teachers I've known." During the period at Slauson, Miss Hach worked summers on a master's degree at the University and made a study of the particular math problems of junior high school students. "When I was teaching I saw that when students reach junior high they have a fear for problem solving and I was concerned about this when I got my master's. I worked with Dr. Raleigh Schorling, head of the math department in the University High School, and with the University in math education on this problem." But then in 1954 Miss Hach was lured back to Racine where she held the position as consultant in mathematics. During this time she published several articles in various journals and her reputation grew. In 1960, an administrator I succeeded in getting Miss Hach to come back to Ann Arbor as a consultant in mathematics for K-12 grades. In 1961 she co-authored two standard junior high texts for Harcourt, Brace World Publishers. However, Miss Hach is most proud of an award from the Quiz Kids for being "one of the most popular classroom teachers in the nation." In addition to being a fine teacher, said Mrs. Deising: "Alice has lots of friends and she does things for them that take time and thought. (next page please) MATHEMATICS EDUCATOR. . . ( continued) not things which are just mechanical. For 'example, if anyone is sick she always visits them and takes them something to eat or some thing they would like." That she was willing to give of herself seems to be a large part of Alice Hach's key to success. When Miss Hach leaves Ann Arbor, her many friends, fellow teachers and students here will miss her. But also, she will miss them. She put it best in one of her last newsletters to the math teachers when she quipped: "No matter how I figure it, the answer is always the same: I've appreciated working with you"