> The fact that materials and practices are not entirely overhauled to make it easier for the average student, is just amazing to me. I think school curriculum

> The fact that materials and practices are not entirely overhauled to make it easier for the average student, is just amazing to me. I think school curriculum is just fine, and already covers the points that you are trying to make, but better. A much bigger problem is that there are few teachers competent to teach math in this way, because there is a shortage of math teachers, because teachers are significantly underpaid for the high-level skills you are touching upon. The math curriculum, as it is in most countries, is fine. The "Common Core" maths principles begin with "1. Make sense of problems". Algebra is done with letter variables with good reasons: the process of solving a problem involves translating reality into a mathematical model, doing the mathematical work abstractly in a standardised way, then translate back into reality. A main purpose of algebra is that you don't have to hold your model of reality in your head while you do the mathematical work, which would quickly lead to cognitive overload on harder problems. [In computer code, the opposite is true - since you have a computer to do the mathematical work, you want to be always focussed on the model]