Grade-school teachers are key

Re “In L.A., Singapore math has added value,” March 9

This article stated: “Most American elementary school teachers -- reflecting a generally math-phobic society -- lack a strong foundation in the subject to begin with.” How can our students be expected to learn from teachers who are not prepared to teach? And how can students be expected to respect a school system, government or society that is so inept that it cannot train qualified teachers to educate its future voters and taxpayers?

The answers are found in the appalling performance of American students in worldwide comparison studies. The key success factor to Singapore math may be that teachers need to be properly trained for the system to be successful. The solution to improving the performance of American students is to focus on improving the quality of elementary school teacher recruitment and training, rather than perpetuating the vicious cycle of unqualified educators turning out unsuccessful students.

Howard Miller

Oak Park