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Original Articles

A quarter century of US ‘math wars’ and political partisanship

Pages 22-33 | Published online: 28 Feb 2007
 

Abstract

This article traces the history of the US ‘math wars’ from 1980, and discusses the political polarizations that fuelled and resulted from the disagreements.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Elizabeth Carson, Harry Hellenbrand, Ralph Raimi, Mary Rosen, and Sandra Stotsky for critical readings and suggestions.

Notes

1See Hirsch Citation2001.

2For the sake of transparency, I identify myself as a socialist and a registered member of the Green Party.

3Constructivism in this context is a variant of progressivism. See Hirsch Citation1996, 245.

4 A nation at risk, another important document from this period, is discussed in Klein Citation2003.

5A group of parents of school children in Princeton, New Jersey, including Princeton University faculty, in 1991 objected to progressivist programs and eventually founded their own Charter school. See Klein Citation2003.

6Two of the most important were ‘Mathematically Correct’ (www.mathematicallycorrect.com) and ‘New York City HOLD’ (www.nychold.com).

7I was a co-author of that letter. It is posted at: mathematicallycorrect.com/nation.htm

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