Prediction: another panel report that leads to no changes in education

I should probably be happy with the National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s recommendations because of the far reaching implications that could lead to incredible leaps in math expertise in our youth with the United States regaining the title of world leader.

But I am not.

I was initially happy because future parents would not go through the pain that I went through while my kids were in the ridiculous math programs of the past that never taught the basics. This left it to concerned parents to actually teach our kids math – which I am fine with if they are doing incredible things during math class. But they were not. They were experiencing math instead of learning math.

I was delusional with the flu that is going around when I first read the news about the math panel, but the euphoric sense that all future parents would not be subject to ridiculous math departed with my fever.

Nothing in education changes fast, especially education policy. Just look at the math panel itself – this was the 90th version. Seriously--NINETY? I applaud their amazing patience, but if it took them 90 tries before they could agree and release the results with a hand picked panel, it will take school districts a heck of a lot longer to adopt these recommendations with input from many more stakeholders.

It is why I snicker at "voluntary national standards". It will take years to develop and cost millions of dollars. And in the end, it will take ten times longer for districts to actually do anything.

While I applaud the math panel, I would love a think tank or Ed Week to do a story in March 2010 and see how many districts actually did something with it.