Math Education in the U.S.

"Hell hath no fury like a mathematician whose child has been scorned by an education system that refuses to know better," Barry Garelick wrote in his first published article on math education in 2005. He has been at it ever since, and his focus has remained the same: why many of today's practices for teaching math are ineffective and often destructive. This collection brings together some of his best articles on math education over the past ten years. Garelick states: "In writing these articles, I often feel that I am explaining in detail why jumping out of an airplane without a parachute will result in death. And while I am heartened that my readers have found these articles useful, I am also disheartened when I hear the education establishment react with arguments that are tantamount to 'Oh but if you jump out of an airplane the right way, you can survive.' " Nevertheless there is a growing momentum in the U.S. against the well-intentioned but highly injurious nonsense that passes for math education. This collection of articles will assure those people who are convinced that it is being taught poorly that they are right. Reviews: "Barry Garelick is an invaluable source of clear-eyed analysis in a world of math education that is so often given over to fads, agendas, and assorted foolishness. Garelick approaches math instruction, curriculum, and reform with a studious expertise and a wry skepticism that is all too rare. His book will be a welcome resource for parents and teachers frustrated with math education and seeking hard-headed advice on what ought to be done differently." Frederick Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies at American Enterprise Institute "A teacher, a parent and a mathematics major, Garelick's first-hand accounts of his experiences navigating the world of math education are all too familiar to those of us who have experienced the negative impact of educational fads in mathematics classrooms. This book is a must read for parents, teachers and anyone who cares about the way math is taught in North American schools." Dr. Anna Stokke, associate professor of mathematics at the University of Winnipeg. "Barry Garelick's highly readable volume of essays uses a diverse set of critical lenses to trace the stories of--and convincingly impugn--math-instructional ideals and methods that have not yet come close to fulfilling their proponents' promises. Required reading for anyone growing weary of all the lagging results, faddish terminology, and upside-down approaches they see across American K-12 mathematics instruction." Eric Kalenze, author of "Education is Upside-Down" "Those who criticize traditional methods of teaching math are prone to spout wise-sounding homilies about the need to "teach children to think like mathematicians. Barry Garelick understands that if you want kids to think like a mathematician you need to teach them some math, not wait for them to discover basic procedures on their own. For those stubbornly committed to learning math through discovery, here's hoping they discover Garelick's book." Robert Pondiscio, Senior Fellow and Vice President for External Affairs, Thomas B. Fordham Institute