About the Author

Tom Clark, Author

Tom Clark is a life-long teacher of Mathematics and Science with 46 years experience in education, at all levels, from elementary through adult.  He began his career with twelve years of classroom teaching, including a full year of graduate study, and then served for five years as the State Mathematics Supervisor for the Indiana Department of Education.  While there, he was responsible for curriculum development, statewide in-service, textbook adoption, and consultation for all public and private schools in the state. As a result of those opportunities and the valuable knowledge he gained, he was asked to join the Indianapolis Public Schools as the Supervisor of Mathematics, K-12, overseeing staff development efforts and supervising the implementation of curriculum.  Seven years later, Mr. Clark was promoted to the position of Director of Curriculum Development for all areas, utilizing his rich background in mathematics, science, art, music, language, and athletics.  In subsequent years, he was commissioned to author several mathematical resources for the Houghton-Mifflin Publishing Co. and for the Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.

His unique awareness of the needs of both teachers and students is a combination that helped him win the IUPUI Chancellor’s Award, the Purdue Chancellor’s Award, and the Purdue School of Science Faculty Teaching Award.

As a result of all of his experience, he is convinced that everyone has the ability to understand mathematics.  In the last eighteen years, he has focused on the development of multimedia programs that challenge traditional methods of instruction, and which help with both individualized and group learning.  He has written several articles on the subject, and has been a featured speaker at many conferences across the country, addressing techniques of interweaving technology and instruction for concept development, especially in the areas of middle school and high school mathematics.  Further, he is often asked to provide staff development and teacher training in school districts where Mathematics instruction is the focus of attention.

Tom is now president of VideoText Interactive, a company that specializes in bringing the textbook to life through technology. The company’s two major programs, “Algebra: A Complete Course”, and “Geometry: A Complete Course”, have been acclaimed nationwide, as comprehensive college-preparatory Mathematics courses, and are now available in two formats. The Classic Version, with books and DVDs is still very strongly received, and the new Online Version is gaining in popularity.

Personal Life

Tom and his wife, Alice, have been married for 43 years. They have been blessed with 2 wonderful children, Christopher and Kimberly, and now have eight grandchildren. Tom’s father was a minister and his mother was the daughter of a missionary to Japan. His sister, Sharon, and his brother, Steve, have been very instrumental in the growth of VideoText Interactive, working with Tom to bring the company to the position of being a major provider of quality Mathematics instruction for the homeschooling community. As well, Kimberly, an accomplished graphic artist, and Christopher, an experienced informational technology expert, have contributed greatly to the professional quality and appearance of the VideoText Interactive educational materials. In fact, the extended families of both Tom and Alice have also participated in conference and parent support activities, with several of those family members having significant educational backgrounds as well. The development of Tom’s “Why?” philosophy, and the eventual production of the VideoText materials began 30 years ago, at “the kitchen table”, with Tom developing notes to explain mathematical concepts to his children. His family has enjoyed watching those early “notes” develop into a video program, which has now moved to kitchen tables all across America.  As a result, homeschooling families everywhere can enjoy the benefits of truly understanding Mathematics.