What’s behind ‘bad’ math skills?

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

Blah, blah, blah, blah...

...whatever.

I mean, there's not anything really wrong with the sentiments expressed in this article...

...except that it is what it is and it shall remain so as long as you have self-contained elementary classrooms.

Regardless of the prevailing standards or the best teaching practices, a teacher is going to teach best what s/he loves.

At the secondary level, that generally poses no problem in that teachers who teach math must be certified to do so (unless, of course, the administration can't find a certified math teacher and forces a teacher of another subject area to teach one period of math as allowed by law.) Therefore, the secondary teacher is free to teach to their heart's desire.

At the elementary level, the typical teacher has an self-contained classroom and must teach all subjects. Some of those teachers love math and excel at math...

...some, not so much. Those teachers have other skills, other passions, another "love of their life". Teacher-prep programs and professional development/in-service training can attempt remediation, augmentation, whatever, but their first love will always remain their first love and it will show in their teaching.

So...

...reformers, administrators, or whoever can wish upon a star that all teachers become passionate about math and inspire their students accordingly.

Me?

I expect to see donkeys and pigs fly first!