The problem with you kids today is that you don't write in cursive

[Ms. Toad]

72. New math is not a different system for teaching math

It was intended to be a fundamental transformation of the mathematics curriculum.

New Math moved theories which are absolutely essential for advanced math (sets, matrices, non-decimal number systems, and boolean logic, primarily) into elementary school - where they were watered down enough so that they could be taught by often math-illiterate elementary school teachers, virtually none of whom had enough advanced math (Calculus and beyond) to understand what the heck these things were good for.

So rather than teaching the fundamentals of beginning mathematics, elementary school teachers began teaching these theories by rote - with absolutely no appreciation of what they might ever be needed for. This meant they were incapable of teaching them in a way that was anything other than a waste of time. To be honest, even most of my peers at the high school level, did not understand the power of these simple theories and could not do them justice.

It has all but vanished, aside from nominal mention of each of the primary theories in a standard math curriculum - which are still being taught by teachers who mostly don't have a clue what or why they are teaching. So - I'm not sure what you are thinking of, but (as a former math teacher with two degrees in math) I can tell you that it isn't New Math. I was subjected to New Math via a workbook my parents bought, and imposed on a teacher with no more than a high school education in the 60s, when they realized I was gifted in math. And my first years teaching in the late 70s & early 80s were spent trying to rescue some of the last of its victims.

As far as handwriting - Getty-Dubay looks less offensive than D'Nealian, but since the cursive version isn't really cursive, I see no reason to add the complexity (and time).