[threatofrain]

The Common Core for math, which is adopted in the majority of US states, emphasizes deep understanding of underlying concepts over rote memorization. The reason why we aren't arguing for the Common Core to adopt "better teaching" is because that would leave out the most important mechanism — that every child under Equitable Math must be at the same level.

Without the requirement that all children must be at the same level, some children would still race ahead, and in terms of appearances, that would severely risk the reputation of Equitable Math as the way to fall behind. The battleground is not on whether the Common Core should be deeper, or even whether the Common Core ought be reformed at all, but rather that all children should be at the same level.