There is a tremendous disconnect between state standards and what happens in the classroom. If we really believed in the same expectations for all students, society wouldn't stand for these inequities. Racial tensions, rolling waves of new standards, and antiquated teaching patterns produce tremendous stress on teachers. Business leaders need to learn about the changes that are underway in mathematics education. Business leaders and teachers both understand that the skills that really count are the abilities to reason with data, to explain a conclusion, and to justify an analysis.
Some teachers worry that business is looking only for basic skills.
What really matters, report Roundtable participants, is the ability to solve problems and interpret information. This requires changing the style of teaching in such basic courses as algebra and geometry. Teachers need to work with business to learn about the relevance of high school mathematics to contemporary work. Mathematics is more than just curriculum. It has to do with self esteem and power.