Chapter 1: Is The Nctm Standard A Correct Solution For Grades 9-12?:

The writers of the Standards believe that Standards will have far reaching effect on mathematics education in the 1990s and beyond (the quotation from page 255 of the Standards is an expression of this belief). I disagree with their belief. I can best explain my disagreement through a story.

I want you to think of a person who cannot swim who has fallen into deep water. That person is approached by a boat in which there are people who can swim. One of these, an Olympic caliber swimmer, jumps from the boat into the water and proceeds to give the drowning person instructions on the correct method to swim the crawl as an Olympic swimmer would swim. Because this instruction is far beyond what the drowning person needs or can use, the non-swimmer drowns.