I disagree in general with BS, and this in particular: "The object is to make it harder for parents to understand and assist their children with classwork.
It also sets the parents up to look like stupid bimbos in the eyes of the children.
This gives the child the idea that only the school has people educated enough to know anything and that parents have no ability to understand complex situation."
One of my clients is a dedicated and involved father, a chemical engineer. He brings his 3rd grade son to me 2 nights a week and sits in the lobby with his youngest son while we help the 3rd grader with his math homework. I go to the parent teacher conferences because it has become too frustrating for Dad. When dad helped his son with homework and studying, the child made C's and D's because he did not get credit for arriving at the correct answer without "ribbon modeling" or other nonsense. There is too much theorizing at the primary levels.
At the primary grades, we need to instill a love for learning. Instead, children are being held back in kindergarten, first graders have shut down completely and the kids feel like they are stupid.
I believe we should have a national standard. I also believe we have screwed this up royally K-3. When a practicing engineer cannot teach multiplication because "that's not the method we use," we have a problem.
It does make the child believe his 3rd grade teacher is better at math than his engineer father. His 3rd grade teacher doesn't even know the first digit of pi, but she trumps Dad.
I'm in the industry. Changes need to be made, and we need to move faster than we did with "No Child Left Behind." Over half of my students are 2nd and 3rd graders, and we are preK through ACT/SAT. Dedicated parents are spending $50+ per hour for homework because they can't help their kids themselves. I feel for those who can't afford it.