Pretty awful article that does nothing to explain the philosophy of this school. (If there is one?) Third graders multiplying 4 and 5 together without calculato

Pretty awful article that does nothing to explain the philosophy of this school. (If there is one?) Third graders multiplying 4 and 5 together without calculators, teachers cutting apples to teach fractions ... I'm pretty sure every school around the world uses these methods. Is there anything less vapid about this school's philosophy? Perhaps the article's author spent too much time on the iPad growing up ...