I en artikel i New York Times skriver Sol Garfunkel och David Mumford om den stora oron för sjunkande matematikresultat i USA. De menar att denna oro bygger på ett felaktigt antagande om att alla behöver läsa samma matematik

All this worry, however, is based on the assumption that there is a single established body of mathematical skills that everyone needs to know to be prepared for 21st-century careers. This assumption is wrong. The truth is that different sets of math skills are useful for different careers, and our math education should be changed to reflect this fact.

de fortsätter och förordar

In math, what we need is “quantitative literacy,” the ability to make quantitative connections whenever life requires (as when we are confronted with conflicting medical test results but need to decide whether to undergo a further procedure) and “mathematical modeling,” the ability to move practically between everyday problems and mathematical formulations (as when we decide whether it is better to buy or lease a new car).

Läs mer:
How to Fix Our Math Education, [NYT] …

Fixing math education, [math.about.com] ...

Do We Need a New Way to Teach Math?, [NYT] ...

Strange Accounts of the Common Core State Standards, [mathedck.wordpress.com] ...