This is not surprising. My grade 4 kid's teacher told me that our kid "just might not be good at math, and that's OK". This is a shocking attitude, but one I find commonly held: that basic math is some kind of optional, specialized skill.
Yeah, it's perfectly fine not to have a good grasp of calculus. But basic math? We use it every single day. Someone who is innumerate is at just as much of a disadvantage as someone who is illiterate.
