The 1986 calculator protests show that fears about new technology changing how s
By Evolving Ai · October 6, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
The 1986 calculator protests show that fears about new technology changing how students think are nothing new.
In April 1986, a small group of educators protested outside the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics convention in Washington, D.C., over the growing use of calculators in schools.
Led by math teacher and textbook author John Saxon, they feared children could become too dependent on calculators before learning basic arithmetic themselves.
One protest sign read: “The Button’s Nothin’ ’Til the Brain’s Trained.”
The NCTM argued that calculators could be useful once students knew the basics, helping them spend more time on harder problem-solving.
Nearly 40 years later, schools are having a similar debate around generative AI and how much students should do themselves.
Source: Hochman, A. (1986). “Math Teachers Stage a Calculated Protest.” The Washington Post.
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