On the contrary, I think math ed types want to keep the actual mathematicians out precisely because the mathematicians recognize how complex the field is. Every time I've been told "stay out, you don't know our field", it was because I pointed out complexity or plausible alternative explanations.<p>For example, a puzzle: why do SAT scores underpredict female performance in Calc 1, and overpredict grades in higher level courses? I suggested girls are more conscientious than boys, and that a study being proposed did not control for such factors. I even suggested a test of this hypothesis: compare grades in classes which are conscientiousness-weighted (25% homework, 10% attendance, tests questions are practice problems with numbers changed) to ability-weighted coursework (50% midterm, 50% final, test questions all new).<p>I'm not sure my idea was a good one. But rather than explain why either a) this had been tried, and didn't work, or b) why my test wouldn't work, I was simply told to leave the field to experts.<p>I've come up with plenty of dumb ideas in other areas, e.g., global existence of wave equations. The closest I've ever gotten to "stay out, you aren't an expert" was "Terry tried that and failed, ask him why before spending lots of time on it."<p>[edit: really confused why you are being downmodded.]