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The Case Against Algebra 908

HughPickens.com writes: Dana Goldstein writes at Slate that political scientist Andrew Hacker proposes replacing algebra II and calculus in the high school and college with a practical course in statistics for citizenship. According to Hacker, only mathematicians and some engineers actually use advanced math in their day-to-day work and even the doctors, accountants, and coders of the future shouldn't have to master abstract math that they'll never need. For many math is often an impenetrable barrier to academic success. Algebra II, which includes polynomials and logarithms, and is required by the new Common Core curriculum standards used by 47 states and territories, drives dropouts at both the high school and college levels. Hacker's central argument is that advanced mathematics requirements, like algebra, trigonometry and calculus, are "a harsh and senseless hurdle" keeping far too many Americans from completing their educations and leading productive lives. "We are really destroying a tremendous amount of talent—people who could be talented in sports writing or being an emergency medical technician, but can't even get a community college degree," says Hacker. "I regard this math requirement as highly irrational." According to Hacker many of those who struggled through a traditional math regimen feel that doing so annealed their character while critics says that mathematics is used as a hoop, a badge, a totem to impress outsiders and elevate a profession's status. "It's not hard to understand why Caltech and M.I.T. want everyone to be proficient in mathematics. But it's not easy to see why potential poets and philosophers face a lofty mathematics bar. Demanding algebra across the board actually skews a student body, not necessarily for the better."

Comment Re:Dream on. (Score 1) 247

To be taken seriously, one must hit them where it hurts.

Here is why the Snowden story got so big. One single little facet of the whole "government is spying on us" thing.
One Program.
Bullrun.

"Because of Snowden, we now know that the listeners undertook to do what they repeatedly promised respectable expert opinion they would never do. They always said they would not attempt to break the crypto that secures the global financial system.
That was false."
"...attempting to break the encryption that holds the global financial industry together, it had also stolen the keys to as many vaults as possible. With this disclosure the NSA forfeited respectable opinion around the world. Their reckless endangerment of those who don't accept danger from the United States government was breathtaking."

The Occupy Wall Street was all fun and games until one bullet point item came up. (Delaware being a tax heaven for Congressmen). As soon as that point made the news, all of the police forces, in sync, shut everything down.

The PAC needs something as effective and dealdy, and keep their mouth shut about it until it's too late to go back.

Comment Panic-A-Tech (tm) (Score 2) 62

But will it be able to tell you the difference between a heart attack and a panick attack?

Would you be interested in a device that links to your smartphone and lets you know, even before it happens, whether you're having a panic attack - or a heart attack?
- Yeah, yeah.
OK, here's how Panic-A-Tech works.
You wear this on your finger all day and it tracks your vitals.
Or if that's too embarrassing, there's also a Bluetooth suppository and that goes right where you think it goes.
And that comes with a retrieval kit.

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