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I know. We have a math book that was my grandmother’s in elementary school. “Robinson’s Shorter Course Arithmetic”, published 1874. My husband is a Physicist, and he’s gobsmacked.

The first sentence of the “Suggestions To Teachers”section is “the instructor should not only fully understand it, in all its principles and details, but should also clearly perceive what particular faculties of the mind are concerned in its acquisition and use,”

Today’s teachers not only couldn’t do the math, but also couldn’t understand the sentence telling them how to understand the math. LOL!

The teachers say the students need to try harder to learn the material that the teachers don't even know, and that the parents who weren't taught it need to help them.

Anyone who's taken even one course taught by someone who actually knows the material understands why even good students fail with poor teachers.

Math teachers in particular are very difficult to find, hire, and retain. Worse, you need good math teachers in every grade.