Socratic Solutions, Inc. Hires International Math Expert as Chief Academic Officer

March 31, 2006 (PRLEAP.COM) Education News
MIAMI, FL – March XX, 2006 – Socratic Solutions, Inc., a Miami-based supplemental education company that owns the Monkey Math™ Learning Center brand, today announced it has hired a highly-regarded, leading expert in Vedic math to serve as Chief Academic Officer.

Kenneth Raymond Williams, who has taught more than 100 courses on Vedic math over the past 35 years, will oversee classroom instruction, homework, teacher training and ongoing teacher preparation for all Math Monkey™ Learning Centers, to open in locations across the U.S.

Based on ancient Indian texts, Vedic math is a unique system of calculations that can be easily applied to arithmetic. At the learning centers, children ages six to 10 will use Vedic math to solve mathematic problems within seconds – without the use of paper or a calculator.

“Kenneth is our visionary leader, bringing a high degree of expertise in the field of Vedic math,” said Kirsten Fisch, president and CEO of Socratic Solutions. “We are impressed by his sound judgment, stemming from years of research and practical application of Vedic math. We expect his vast expertise and academic standing will facilitate a culture of learning and academic success at all of our learning centers.”

Williams will provide the necessary leadership to ensure an academic environment whose central focus is student success through the use of Vedic math techniques, Fisch added, noting he will create programs that will make Math Monkey™ Learning Centers a leader in educational enhancement.

The first Math Monkey™ Learning Center is scheduled to open this spring in Weston, a community in south Florida. Fisch said the corporate goal of Socratic Solutions is to open company-owned and franchised learning centers in communities throughout the country, equipping American students with an important tool to succeed in mathematics.

Williams, 60, who resides in England, said he looks forward to overseeing curriculum, instruction and assessment of Math Monkey’s after-school enhancement program, noting it is satisfying to see that Vedic math is at the brink of a renaissance.

“I began studying Vedic mathematics in earnest in 1971, and have written extensively about its many applications over the years,” Williams said. “I was the first to create a Vedic math newsletter and website, and even have proved how it can be used in astronomy, as a prediction of eclipses.”





Among the library of books that Williams has authored on Vedic math includes: Introductory Lectures on Vedic Mathematics (1982), Discover Vedic Mathematics (1984), Fun with Figures (1998) and Vertically and Crosswise (1999). He lectured about Vedic math at Oxford University in 1988, at the Conference in Boras, Sweden in 1992 and at a seminar in Singapore that included the country’s Minister of Education in 1999.

“In my role as Chief Academic Officer of Math Monkey, I look forward to serving as an advocate and spokesperson for the learning enhancement programs,” Williams said. “I will be identifying trends in Vedic math, engaging in short- and long-term planning and research to meet the anticipated challenges of delivering the pertinent curriculum.”

Fisch added that Williams will be collaborating with her executive team to provide “thought leadership” on an ongoing basis, ensuring the objectives of children enjoying and excelling at math is consistently met.

Before joining Math Monkey™, Williams was a teacher for 16 years at the Carmel Sixth Form College, St Helens, Merseyside in the United Kingdom. Receiving his teacher’s certification in mathematics in 1972 from the University of London, he has taught at a number of schools in England throughout his career.