🚨 Maryland has just adopted new math standards that remove the requirement for students to know their multiplication tables from memory. This comes despite the U.S. government’s last major math education report concluding that mastery of times tables is fundamental to preparation for Algebra and higher-level math.
A Move Backward, Not Forward
Multiplication tables are not “rote memorization” for the sake of busywork. They’re the building blocks of mathematical fluency. Students who can recall basic facts quickly are better equipped to tackle fractions, ratios, algebra, and problem-solving. Removing that expectation from the state’s standards sends the message that speed and mastery no longer matter.
Instead of raising the bar to meet the demands of the modern world, Maryland is lowering it. This isn’t progress—it’s regression.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Maryland students are already struggling:
- Only 31% of students statewide are proficient in math.
- In Baltimore City, just 7% of students tested proficient.
These numbers reveal a crisis. Stripping away one of the most basic mathematical expectations won’t help. It will make the problem worse.
Contradicting Federal Guidance
The National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s landmark report emphasized that rapid recall of multiplication tables is essential for algebra readiness. By ignoring that guidance, Maryland is effectively saying it knows better than the nation’s top experts. In reality, the results suggest otherwise.
The Equity Excuse
The change is being justified under the banner of “equity.” But equity should mean giving every child the tools to succeed—not handicapping them by erasing standards. True equity raises children up; it doesn’t drag expectations down.
Parents Should Be Alarmed
This decision underscores why parents are increasingly skeptical of Maryland’s public schools. When the state spends time pushing ideology in classrooms while simultaneously lowering academic standards, parents see the priorities for what they are: misplaced.
The Bottom Line
Times tables are not optional. They are a cornerstone of math education. Maryland’s decision to abandon them in its new standards is yet another sign that the system is failing children, setting them up for lifelong struggles in STEM fields and beyond.
Maryland is lowering the bar when it should be raising it. Parents, taxpayers, and students deserve better.
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