Math Exposed: How Math Education Was Dumbed Down

Introduction: The Decline of Math Education

American students once led the world in mathematics. Now we rank near the bottom of developed nations. Was this an accident - or by design?

The Current State

US ranks 38th in math among developed nations (PISA 2022)
Only 26% of high school seniors are proficient in math
Students can graduate without basic arithmetic skills
Many adults can't calculate percentages or balance a checkbook
Remedial math is the most common college course

This Was Not an Accident

Education reformers have openly stated their goals:

"We want one class of persons to have a liberal education, and we want another class of persons, a very much larger class, to forego the privileges of a liberal education." - Woodrow Wilson, 1909

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." - Proverbs 4:7

1The Historical Timeline

How Math Education Changed

Timeline of Decline

Pre-1900: Classical education emphasized arithmetic, geometry, and logic. Even rural one-room schoolhouses taught solid math fundamentals. 8th graders solved problems that stump today's college students.

1900-1920: "Progressive education" movement begins. John Dewey and others push for "child-centered" learning over systematic instruction. Education becomes a tool for social engineering.

1957: Sputnik launches. US panics about falling behind Soviets. "New Math" is created as response.

1960s: "New Math" introduced in schools. Focus shifts from computation to abstract concepts (set theory, bases other than 10). Parents can no longer help with homework.

1970s: "New Math" abandoned as failure. "Back to Basics" movement briefly returns computation focus.

1989: NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) releases new standards emphasizing "discovery learning" over direct instruction. Calculator use encouraged even for basic operations.

2010: Common Core State Standards implemented. Further shifts away from standard algorithms toward multiple "strategies" that confuse students and parents.

Think About It

1. What happened to US math education between 1900 and today?

2. Why might education reformers want students to be poor at math?

2The "New Math" Disaster (1960s)

What Was "New Math"?

The Changes

Set theory introduced to elementary students
Bases other than 10 (base 2, base 8) taught to young children
Abstract concepts before computational fluency
New vocabulary: "number sentences" instead of "equations"
Deemphasis on memorizing multiplication tables

Example: Subtraction

Traditional Method (simple, efficient):

62 - 17 = ?

Borrow from tens: 12 - 7 = 5, 5 - 1 = 4

Answer: 45

"New Math" Method (confusing, time-consuming):

62 - 17 expressed in set notation...

Consider the union of sets...

Using base 10 blocks in different configurations...

Multiple steps later... Answer: 45

Same answer - but one method builds skills, the other builds confusion!

"In the new approach, as I understand it, the idea is to understand what you're doing rather than to get the right answer. It's okay not to get the right answer, as long as you understand what you're doing." - Tom Lehrer, mathematician & satirist, 1965

The Real Purpose

Parents could no longer help their children with homework
Traditional methods were branded as "old-fashioned"
Children lost computational fluency
Math anxiety skyrocketed
Dependence on schools (and later calculators) increased

Think About It

1. What was wrong with "New Math"?

2. Why might it be useful to create math methods parents don't understand?

3Common Core Math: History Repeating

The Same Mistakes - Again

Common Core Math Issues

Standard algorithms (traditional methods) delayed until later grades
Multiple "strategies" required before efficient methods allowed
Confusing visual representations (number bonds, tape diagrams)
Emphasis on "explaining your thinking" over getting correct answers
One-size-fits-all pacing regardless of student readiness

Example: Simple Addition

Traditional Method:

26 + 17 = ?

6 + 7 = 13 (write 3, carry 1)

2 + 1 + 1 = 4

Answer: 43

Common Core "Strategy":

26 + 17 = ?

First, make a ten: 26 + 4 = 30

17 - 4 = 13

30 + 13 = 43

Now draw it on a number line...

Now show with base-10 blocks...

Now write a paragraph explaining your thinking...

Who Created Common Core?

Developed by non-profit organizations (Achieve, Inc., NGA, CCSSO)
Funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($200+ million)
No classroom teachers on initial writing team
Never pilot-tested before national implementation
Adopted by states tied to federal funding (Race to the Top)

"The creators of the Common Core have little knowledge of how our mathematical minds develop." - Dr. James Milgram, Stanford mathematician who refused to sign off on Common Core

Think About It

1. How does Common Core math resemble "New Math"?

2. Why is it concerning that Common Core was never pilot-tested?

4The Real Agenda

Why Dumb Down Math?

Stated Goals (In Their Own Words)

"We are turning out people who are not numerate. They cannot balance a checkbook, they cannot understand compound interest... and they don't know how dangerous that is." - John Taylor Gatto, former NY Teacher of the Year

"The purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts... It is to teach them to think." - Robert Hutchins, Ford Foundation

A Mathematically Illiterate Population:

Can't evaluate financial products - Falls prey to predatory lending
Can't understand statistics - Easily manipulated by misleading data
Can't calculate taxes - Depends on "experts"
Can't check their own work - Must trust systems they can't verify
Can't pursue STEM careers - Limited to service jobs
Can't think logically - More easily controlled

Compare: 1895 vs Today

Questions from an 1895 8th grade exam in Kansas:

"A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?"
"What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?"
"Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent."

Could today's high school graduates answer these?

"For Yahuah gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding." - Proverbs 2:6

Think About It

1. How does mathematical illiteracy make people easier to control?

2. Why might powerful interests want a population that can't think logically?

5The Solution: Classical Math Education

What Actually Works

Principles of Effective Math Education

Mastery of Fundamentals: Memorize addition/subtraction facts, then multiplication tables
Standard Algorithms: Learn efficient traditional methods FIRST
Sequential Building: Master each concept before moving on
Mental Math: Develop ability to calculate without paper/calculator
Real-World Application: Practical problems, not abstract theory for young children
Correct Answers Matter: Math has right and wrong answers

Modern Math Education	Classical Math Education
Multiple strategies before mastery	Master one efficient method first
Calculator from early grades	Mental math and hand calculation
"Understanding" over answers	Correct answers build understanding
Abstract concepts early	Concrete to abstract progression
Group work, discovery learning	Direct instruction, practice
Move on regardless of mastery	Master before advancing

Recommended Resources

Saxon Math: Incremental, mastery-based approach
Singapore Math: Concrete-pictorial-abstract method
Math-U-See: Manipulative-based with standard algorithms
Ray's Arithmetic: Classical 19th-century texts (still excellent!)
Life of Fred: Story-based with traditional methods

For Parents

Teach traditional methods at home regardless of school methods Practice mental math regularly Delay calculator use until algorithms are mastered Use real-world math (cooking, shopping, building) Consider homeschooling or tutoring if school methods fail

6Summary: Reclaiming Mathematical Literacy

What We Learned

Math education was systematically changed over the past century
"New Math" (1960s) confused students and excluded parents
Common Core repeats the same mistakes
A mathematically illiterate population is easier to control
Classical methods that produced excellence are still available
Parents can teach traditional math at home

Remember

The goal of education reformers was never to help your children succeed. It was to create compliant workers who can't think critically.

Don't accept that your child "just isn't good at math." With proper instruction, nearly every child can achieve mathematical competence!

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6

Final Assessment

1. How was math education deliberately changed in America?

2. What are the characteristics of effective classical math education?

3. What can parents do to ensure their children become mathematically literate?

Family Commitment

We understand how math education was changed We will teach traditional math methods We will ensure mastery before advancement We will prepare mathematically literate children

Key Points Summary

Timeline

Pre-1900: Classical education, strong fundamentals
1900-1920: Progressive education begins
1960s: "New Math" introduces confusion
2010: Common Core repeats mistakes

Problems

Abstract concepts before fundamentals
Multiple strategies instead of efficient methods
Process over correct answers
Parents excluded from helping

Solutions

Traditional algorithms first
Mastery-based progression
Mental math practice
Delay calculator use
Classical curricula (Saxon, Singapore, etc.)