OT: Algebra is a civil rights issue

The correct response would be to improve the way algebra was taught until rather more students passed the course.

Dropping the requirement is a cheaper option in the short term, but since America needs more educated workers, improving the instruction would pay off better in the long term.

Jim wouldn't like paying for the extra cost of the extra or better teachers at the school in his school district, and he isn't in the knd of business that would benefit from the better-instructed students.

rather more students passed the course.

In France they want to simplify spelling and grammar because people finish school without knowing to write correctly...

Bye Jack

It's Al Jabr, like Al Qaeda, you have Al Jabr. It's Arabic.

Most people will never use algebra in their lives, and some people just don't get it, so it doesn't make sense for everyone to have to study it. Most people would benefit from a course in practical arithmetic and measurement and finance.

Double that for calculus. I think I have taken one symbolic integral in my engineering career, and have used Spice for that calculation since.

"Most people" shouldn't even go to college... the ROI sucks... they end up clerking in a store. ...Jim Thompson

Disagree. I did not go to college to learn a trade.

Dan

I agree with "most". Is your name "Most"?

I was taking a couple of classes at the local vo-tech school when they merged with the state university system. Out went programs like math for machinists, and instead students were forced to take algebra and trig. I thought then that the changes were a huge mistake and I'm glad to see things may be reverting back. Why flunk students out of a trade school path over a math program they wont ever apply in their jobs?

Agreed. Colleges have turned mostly into bogus-expensive-degree mills. We need more practical education, beginning in high school. We don't need millions of geographers and marine ecologists and sociologists.

And universities should have a bailout path for the kids who don't fit the academic BS model.

I did. Engineer.

My jaw dropped when they did that. "Not enough kids can pass the test ... oh, let's just drop it then".

Time for better schools, and certainly not the schools the unions want.

My high school occupied a whole city block. Half of the building was devoted to trades. When are the non-academic going to learn that (for example) welding is not only an honorable trade, but pays very well? ...Jim Thompson

Algebra isn't necessary for most trades, but 'ordinary' math is. My father-in-law ran a very high tech machine shop... his constant complaint was that he couldn't find anyone who had a clue about reading a blueprint. ...Jim Thompson

The root of the problem is most of the students are immature. Many of them should wait until age 25 or so before they enroll. They should work in the meantime, maybe in some kind of system of pre-college internship.

These are tricky:

I can come up with some others that require elementary algebra skills but they're almost impossible for someone like you to solve because they require insight.

They should work digging ditches for a while.

And that's a whole other area where I think we've gone in the wrong direction. When the bean counters decided we didn't need drafters anymore because engineers could draw their own blueprints. Engineers will typically list a class of fit instead of dimensions, or specify to make a hole so a press fit fastener will go in. The drafter would then look that information up and make a properly dimensioned print for the machinist to use. That middle step is missing now and too many improperly dimensioned prints, or impossible to manufacture features, or poorly toleranced drawings are being produced.

Slowman (aka ignorant fathead) doesn't know that the US is right up top world-wide at 'education' expenditures... a total waste of resources. His other statements are, as usual, total nonsense... I think he's mentally ill.

I they had to pay their own way thru college they'd change very quickly. ...Jim Thompson

I scored a perfect 800 on the math SAT, and that was before they dumbed it down.

What was your score?