In yet another installment of “nothing new under the sun,” the Fordham Institute has put out a survey-analysis assessing the controversial Common Core math standards. As the first of its kind, the survey of teachers’ reactions to the overhaul-alignment of American public schools is overdue and ultimately inconclusive. Results show the math standards are mostly working according to primary school teachers on the frontlines, not really working per middle school teachers—and not working at all according to parents on the homefront. Parents’ opinions are based on surveyed teachers’ reports of their interactions with parents.

Problem points crop up as causes for concern—and for twisty, abstract justifications from its authors. First of all, there’s parental angst: “Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of teachers (85 percent) believes that these new approaches are hindering the reinforcement of learning at home because ‘parents don’t understand the way math is being taught.'” And the perennial nature of middle schoolers: “Middle school teachers tend to have a more negative assessment of their students’ math abilities and the broader impact of the standards.”