While I agree with just about all of what Richard Hake has to say (as
usual), I continue to believe that the problem of grossly inadequately
prepared teachers in grades 4 through 8 is the *sine qua non* of this
whole issue. Arons pointed this out repeatedly going back 30 years.
While there is much in curriculum and standards that can be improved, no
significant change will happen without a drastic improvement in the
teachers, because no quality reform can be implemented by teachers who
themselves are at the cognitive and skill level of a 10 year old (yes,
they are -- I have tested them).
I would be interested to know people's opinion on what percentage of our
current teachers in grades 1 through 6 could implement a Benezet program
without falling back on rote algorithms. I think the percentage is VERY
small. I would like to document that and continue to seek populations of
teachers -- elementary in particular -- to test with my diagnostic
instrument (referred to by Richard).