When I got my teaching credential for high school math, it became apparent and was openly recognized that many grade school level teachers choose that level of

When I got my teaching credential for high school math, it became apparent and was openly recognized that many grade school level teachers choose that level of certification because they are, themselves, afraid of "math expected at the high school level." We expect many teachers who are math-phobic to lay down the foundational layers of mathematics with our kids. They cling to whatever the pre-made material and lessons are in the texts and often don't know why things are to be taught the way the texts want. Scary stuff.