On March 13, 2008, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel presented its Final Report to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education. Copies of these ground-breaking reports, rich with information for parents, teachers, policy makers, the research community, and others, are provided here.
I am downloading the reports, but I haven’t had time to read them yet. The panel included Dr. Hung-Hsi Wu and Dr. Liping Ma, however, so I have good hope that the report will emphasize that we must teach a solid, conceptual understanding of mathematics while at the same time making sure our students achieve mastery of basic arithmetic and algebra skills.
Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math 
Boy does that comic ever feel jaded. I would feel quite proud to know my home state is above the national average. That whole concept takes my pride and sprinkles it with a heavy dusting of shame!
Jaded, cynical, and frustrated — that pretty much describes the “Weapons of Math Destruction” series of comics. But surely it is possible to improve. Others have taught math well, so there has to be a way. And when Americans know there is a way to do something, then sooner or later we will figure out how to do it, won’t we?