Battleground Schools

 Homework reading and blog response: Battleground Schools:

Here are three moments that stood out to me from reading about the history of mathematics education and curriculum in North America:

1. The Progressive vs. Conservative Dichotomy: The ongoing tension between progressive and conservative approaches in math education, with one focusing on inquiry and understanding and the other on fluency and rote learning, highlights the deep philosophical divide on what math education should achieve. This ideological battle has influenced curriculum design for decades and still persists today.

2. The New Math Movement: The 1960s "New Math" initiative, driven by fears of falling behind in the space race, introduced abstract concepts like set theory into schools. However, it failed largely because teachers and parents were unprepared to handle such a drastic shift. This illustrates how reforms, even with good intentions, can falter if they are not well supported.

3. The Math Wars of the 1990s: The conflicts over the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards in the 1990s, known as the "Math Wars," marked a period where education reforms became politicized. The tension between traditionalists and progressives became so polarized that it extended into broader cultural and political battles, further complicating efforts to improve math education.