I think it depends on what curriculum your school's using; non-base-10 math is a punchline in Tom Lehrer's "New Math" [1]. Common Core might be getting rid of it?

As a side note, comparing the complaints in "New Math" (from 1965) to those offered about Common Core is educational :)

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIKGV2cTgqA