There was much enthusiasm when the phrase "Modern School Mathematics" was coined shortly after the 1958 National Defense Education Act was passed. Many federally funded study groups came into being. Presently, criticisms in secondary teaching are just as great as it was in 1958. The innovations recommended by federally funded study groups has had little impact in teaching mathematics in particular. The high school level of schooling receives rather continuous criticism. In this article, the author discusses the challenges of changing the high school curriculum with a view to improve instruction.