Beware of the new Saxon books

[Jefferson]

From http://www.lewrockwell.com/taylor/taylor75.html

I would also like to ask New-Saxon if they are purposefully making changes that will put a heavy financial burden upon homeschooling families; if they are striving, on their own, or under someone else's agenda, to discourage parents from choosing to homeschool; if they are thinking that, if parents decide to homeschool, despite all the roadblocks continually thrown up before them, at least their children will join the rest of America's children in being subjected to dumbed-down new-new-math.

 

[Zakath]

I used John Saxon's materials when homeschooling my own children, decades ago. They were good then. I'm sorry if their quality has declined.

Are we to assume homeschooling parents are merely sheep, following dictums laid down by some publishing company executive?

Aren't they free to order some other more allegedly rigorous math curriculum?

If the answers to those questions are "No" and "Yes", then I fail to see the problem. If the quality of the "Saxon" product has declined, then ditch it and find something to replace it...

 

[Christine]

Wow. Thanks for sharing, Jefferson. I've used Saxon since 4th grade (though I used something else for 10th). My father even taught out of Saxon for a year in the public school. Hopefully there will be enough used Saxon books going around that the "older version" will still be available for a while.

 

[Poly]

Originally posted by Zakath
Are we to assume homeschooling parents are merely sheep, following dictums laid down by some publishing company executive?

Some may not be "mere sheep" but new to homeschooling. Some may be considering Saxon because they've heard it's praises sung from somebody who used it back when it was "real" math. They may not realize the changes in it.

 

[Crow]

Originally posted by Zakath

I used John Saxon's materials when homeschooling my own children, decades ago. They were good then. I'm sorry if their quality has declined.

Are we to assume homeschooling parents are merely sheep, following dictums laid down by some publishing company executive?

Aren't they free to order some other more allegedly rigorous math curriculum?

If the answers to those questions are "No" and "Yes", then I fail to see the problem. If the quality of the "Saxon" product has declined, then ditch it and find something to replace it...

To me that's the beauty of free enterprise.

One is free to produce as lousy a product as one cares to.

Others are free to purchase their products elsewhere.

Don't like it? Don't buy it. Wallets speak convincingly. If their sales go down enough, they will certainly consider revising their current line.

 

[Jefferson]

New update from http://www.lewrockwell.com/taylor/taylor86.html

Saxon's goal may be to dumb down the homeschooling children with these new materials. In light of the suggestion of a contract to restrict sales, this additional tip/rumor causes me to wonder whether state schooling could be pressuring Saxon to harm homeschooling in hopes of compromising the academic progress that homeschooled students are making; of putting an end to homeschooled students excelling as publicly schooled students fail.