William G. Quirk applauds a welcomed step away from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) constructivist model of Math Reform. He and other mathematicians disagree with NCTM's fuzzy math K12 standards, and give kudos to NCTM's step toward return to expecting K8 students to have memorized certain math facts and to handle traditional paper - pencil math.

Important News! After 18 years promoting "math reform," the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is now emphasing traditional K-8 math topics in arithmetic, geometry, and algebra. See the NCTM's Curriculum Focal Points. This is an important step in the right direction. See Reflections on the NCTM Focal Points for Stanley Ocken's recommendations for improvement.

Ocken says, "The NCTM's stated purpose for the 1989 Curriculum and Evaluation Standards (the "1989 Standards") was to ensure that "computational algorithms, the manipulation of expressions, and paper-and-pencil drill no longer dominate school mathematics." (bold added)

Parents will take heart knowing someone outside their family disagrees with NCTM standards.

Math teachers who have students use math software programs to complete assignments will find Quirk's points about what math students should learn useful in assessing which software to purchase and recommend to students.

Math software designers will find guidance from Quirk and math colleagues in ways to simplify math facts and processes so that all students master math basics in elementary school.

I, too, disagree with NCTM's assumption that they must dumb down to math appreciation our expectations for student math performances. I use the assumption, with appropriate instruction, almost all students can learn basic math skills directly and quickly. I'm sure teachers know how to get higher math performance, too.

Maybe at least more high school graduates employed in service businesses will count back change instead of just slapping it into customers hands and muttering, "Here's your change."

Thanks, William, for your leadership in trying to bring optimism back to K12 math instruction.

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