... I find myself seriously beginning to question whether it is the goal of the US primary education system to achieve a specified uniform standard of education, or a specified uniform standard of ignorance. Goose's fourth-grade math class doesn't seem to be about teaching kids to do math, as to teach them the metaphorical equivalent of counting on their fingers. For instance, in questions on making change, they're not allowed to say "Three quarters, a dime and three pennies," they're required to draw little pictures of rows of coins. HELLO??? That's going to stand them in great stead when they're figuring out if they can make their rent and their car payment out of their Wal-Mart paycheck, isn't it?
(Hmm, on second thoughts, for a Wal-Mart paycheck, maybe just lining up rows of coins would be practical....)