The news media gave good coverage to this event, so the public was also informed. Listen to parents. Parental concerns and complaints are often well-founded. With appropriate follow-up, they can provide valuable information about faulty implementation of programs. The most common complaint I hear about our elementary program is that students aren't learning their basic facts.
Games are the primary vehicle for basic fact practice in that program.
The problem is implementation, not the program and not the parents. Many parents had terrible mathematics experiences when they were in school so they want a better experience for their children. Most parents are positive about standards-based reform once they understand it, see it works and recognize they have a productive role to play. All rights reserved.