[Martha]

Kids are getting "pre-algebra" in 4th grade. It's ridiculous.

There is NO mastery of the basics. I've got a going-in-to-7th-grader, and homework around here is awful. "No Child Left Behind" my butt. There are plenty being left behind. I fear when they get to the real world, they will struggle with simple things like figuring out sales tax on things, managing their checkbooks and, it's already a problem, people aren't learning about the "evils" of credit.

When I used to walk to school uphill, bothways, barefoot, and in the snow, all we did in 2nd grade was master addition. 3rd was for subtraction; 4th was for division; 5th was long division; 6th was fractions. I never "got" algebra (I was a strong 'D' student), yet I clowned around in geometry and got A's and B's.

Algebra is stoopid. (thankfully, my husband "got it" so he helps with math homework...boy got my algebra gene, I'm afraid)