Margaret Wente, Globe and Mail

(…) Lots of teachers are upset, too. Here’s part of a letter to Anna Stokke, another math professor who, with Prof. Craigen, has launched a reform movement to restore some common sense to math education. (Their site, wisemath.org, is worth a visit.) « I feel what is occurring in the schools is almost criminal,» the teacher wrote. « The difficulty which faces me every day is that I am prevented from teaching the ‘basic skills’ to my students. … Math worksheets and drills are frowned upon. Written tests are a definite no-no. … Marks on report cards are not to be less than 50 per cent. … How can one teach algebra/fractions/per cent/ratios when the basic facts are lacking? How can one pursue higher-level problem-solving when the foundations of mathematics don’t exist?” But many teachers don’t know enough to be upset, because their grounding in math is dismal to begin with.

Aussi de Margaret Wente

Too many teachers can’t do math, let alone teach it