and said students still complaining about math that they were trying to get away from.

It's so frustrating, that many teachers in school are not able to impart the importance of mathematic knowledge - therefore, a lot of students going to struggle with mathematics later on in university and work.
It should be something, which is embraced by students and not feared. If taught correctly, it can work wonders in understanding the world.
But as long teachers start classes with statements like "Math is tough and most of you will not be able to get a grip on it", something is extremely wrong.