In "Elementary School Mathematics Priorities," Wilson (2009 [this issue]) presents a list of five core concepts that students should master in elementary school so that they can succeed in algebra. As researchers in mathematics education, the authors enthusiastically endorse Wilson's recommendations. Learning algebra is key to further study of mathematics. If students are unable to pass an algebra course, they will likely not graduate from college, perhaps not even high school. This can limit students' access to high-paying jobs. Hence, students' success in algebra can strongly impact their economic well-being. For these reasons, preparing all students to succeed in algebra must be a primary goal of mathematics classes; in fact, the authors suggest that early algebra learning begin in the elementary grades. Students are unlikely to make progress in understanding the ideas of algebra if they have not mastered the skills of basic arithmetic, including: (1) understanding the base ten number system; (2) instantly recalling facts about single digit arithmetic; and (3) performing the basic arithmetic operations on whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. Wilson emphasizes that these concepts, facts, and algorithms should be learned with understanding and through mathematical reasoning. On all of these points, the authors strongly concur. As mathematics educators, they argue that there are other important mathematical competences that students should also develop in addition to the skills that Wilson (2009) lists. Elementary school students should have experience representing mathematical concepts in different ways, justifying why their mathematical solutions are correct, and communicating their ideas to others. Wilson states that his list of skills that must be mastered in elementary school is not exhaustive, and the authors concur. That said, the authors state that the points presented in this article are intended for clarification, rather than contention.