The evolution of math

[spektator]

@fah_quad

Calculators should not be used at all through 8th grade. In all grades, however, the “no child left behind” BS standardized tests allow use of a calculator and unfortunately we live in an age when teaching “to the test” must be done in order for administration and government to believe teaching is actually taking place.
If a child makes it to high school and can’t do simple math without a calculator, it’s too late to try and teach them then, or else the entire class gets dragged down, because the course of study is way past that point. How some kids are making to Alg 2 and Geometry in 9th grade but can’t do their multiplication tables is beyond me, but it happens regularly. And it isn’t always a teacher fault as they are given curriculum and the technology based on grant money and they have to use it.
“Getting rid of teacher unions and firing the deadwood” is only useful if they also get rid of standardized tests and allowing calculators to be used on the standardized tests.
It’s a catch-22. What do you use to judge whether a teacher is “dead wood”? Usually, the test scores of the students. But those very tests are the reason why teachers are forced to use the methods that seem “easy way out”.
My wife is a math teacher, just as an FYI, and has won student-nominated regional teacher excellence awards and is in the Western Pa teacher “Hall of Fame” (yes there is such a thing).
So I guess I’m biased when people go and automatically blame the teachers when the reality of it is the expectations and system our government and society as a whole put forth.

I can agree to a point…there are ways around to make the school admins happy, with better results in the students. You have to be creative. You have to care about the open minds in front of you more than the book beside you.