Amen...
My disagreement with them using scripting (python) as step one is the lack of teaching data typing early AND python's silly use space/tabs to set up structure instead of real {} or B/E blocks. Automatic data conversion has never been a good idea in my experience because like many things that happen magically, it almost never works as I expect.
Funny we were discussing the roff family and that is why I like it over things like Word -- way too much hidden behind the screen for my taste. I'm a make it explicit kinda guy I guess. I hate surprises ...
Also, it remains to be seen if teaching FP early helps - which they are clearly making play. Who am I to say, as one of the earliest languages I learned APL, so FP thinking was drilled into me in my youth.
Clem