I got the Saxon Math Algebra 1/2 when it was a Conservative Book Club selection in the ̣90s then compared it with the local HS Algebra book. I realized quickly that I could use the Saxon to teach myself Algebra. With the Public School book that was impossible. Several local schools started using Saxon then quit when the Teachers’ Union objected because it seemed to cut the teacher out of the loop. The regular algebra books required a teacher to explain the bs on the page.
“...seemed to cut the teacher out of the loop...”
Which translates as: Made the child immune to brainwashing and demoralization.