In our former district, which adopted the worthless "Illustrative Mathematics" reform curriculum for grades 6-8, the bill is coming due. Bright students who were good at math (I know because I taught them personally in the parent-run math club) are now having trouble with so-called high-school math (Algebra I).
Learning no math for 3 years, and instead discussing in groups the definition of area or spending months to get to the formula for the area of a triangle, damages almost everyone. And of course the district misinforms parents, saying that "Students [in 8th grade] will still see Algebra I content" (as a way of pacifying parents who objected to the district's removing the option to take Algebra I in 8th grade). Technically, it's true: The end of Illustrative Mathematics's 8th-grade curriculum contains a few trivial linear equations, so students do see Algebra I content. But the implication of the district's statement, as understood by anyone who hasn't yet become paranoid about the unethical practices needed to propagandize for reform math, is that students will still learn Algebra I.
I hope that more parents have become paranoid. But they are a trusting bunch who want to believe that the schools have their children's best interests at heart, and their children are paying the price.
In our former district, which adopted the worthless "Illustrative Mathematics" reform curriculum for grades 6-8, the bill is coming due. Bright students who were good at math (I know because I taught them personally in the parent-run math club) are now having trouble with so-called high-school math (Algebra I).
Learning no math for 3 years, and instead discussing in groups the definition of area or spending months to get to the formula for the area of a triangle, damages almost everyone. And of course the district misinforms parents, saying that "Students [in 8th grade] will still see Algebra I content" (as a way of pacifying parents who objected to the district's removing the option to take Algebra I in 8th grade). Technically, it's true: The end of Illustrative Mathematics's 8th-grade curriculum contains a few trivial linear equations, so students do see Algebra I content. But the implication of the district's statement, as understood by anyone who hasn't yet become paranoid about the unethical practices needed to propagandize for reform math, is that students will still learn Algebra I.
I hope that more parents have become paranoid. But they are a trusting bunch who want to believe that the schools have their children's best interests at heart, and their children are paying the price.