A frustrated parent responds on a Common Core assignment. Looks like it's back to the old New Math.

[Tansy_Gold]

2. What's really frightening about this. . . .

. . . .is that I have never seen this so-called "common core" approach to basic arithmetic before in my life, but even so, I was able to understand it immediately, even to the point of being able to see "Jack's" mistake. And being able to see it -- even if my understanding of it isn't exactly what the "common core" concept is supposed to be teaching -- I can see how badly it works, and how unnecessarily complicated it makes basic arithmetic.

If the bottom level basics are made complicated -- addition, subtraction, multiplication, division -- students who are marginal on the upper end (the b- to c+ students) are likely to become confused, frustrated, and ultimately discouraged, while those who are marginal on the lower end (C and below) will simply be culled. And they will be culled at a very early age, thus shunted out of not only math but science and technology, pushed into "remedial" level general studies classes, and even denied cultural enrichment classes such as art, music, drama, history, literature.

The Frustrated Parent is correct: The process used is stupid and illogical, and offers too many chances for error.

I was among some of the first classes to be taught "New Math" in the early 1960s. That was a joke. This is an insult.