The New Math was a harebrained response to the space race, and to Russia launching Sputnik. Our wise leaders thought “Jeepers! They’re getting ahead of us! We must respond by raising a generation of Super Geniuses who will put them back in their place.” Of course, as usual, it was assumed that all kids have the exact same potential, and if it’s decided that they’re all going to grow up to be scientists, then by gum, that’s what they’re going to do. What it did was widen the gap between high and low achievers, while even those in the middle struggled.
The New Math was a harebrained response to the space race, and to Russia launching Sputnik. Our wise leaders thought “Jeepers! They’re getting ahead of us! We must respond by raising a generation of Super Geniuses who will put them back in their place.” Of course, as usual, it was assumed that all kids have the exact same potential, and if it’s decided that they’re all going to grow up to be scientists, then by gum, that’s what they’re going to do. What it did was widen the gap between high and low achievers, while even those in the middle struggled.