Posted on 11/21/2013 5:17:13 PM PST by Olog-hai
The Texas Board of Education gave preliminary approval Thursday to dropping algebra II as a requirement for high school students to graduate, over the objections of critics who say the state is watering down its academic standards.
The board opted not to toughen a major overhaul of graduation and curriculum requirements that were unanimously approved by the state Legislature in May and designed to give students the flexibility to focus on career and vocational training—not just college prep courses. …
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There is some good and some bad in that decision.
The BAD: Leaning algebra is good idea for anyone.
The GOOD: Taking students who are really not up to learning Algebra at the Algebra 2 level or are not interested in doing so will benefit those who are. The classes can be taught at a higher level and, I would assume, at a faster pace.
If you understand higher math and really large numbers, you might be prone to throwing the bastards out who have taken our nation's debt to over $17,000,000,000,000. That is owed by ~300,000,000 people. Drop the duplicated zeros and that is $17,000,000 per 300 people ($56,666.67 per person).
Mandating that higher math be taught does not create a student body uniformly capable of learning it.
The truancy system and mandated matriculation have as much to do with the decline in American education as the other liberal policies inflicted on the schools.
Dropping Algebra II is not watering down standards. Mandating Common Core is.
I guess bigger cucumbers will be mandated for
never mind
“The BAD: Leaning algebra is good idea for anyone.”
Lots of kids just can’t handle algebra-II
Sorry. Nothing good about reducing standards, especially in Math. Every student should be able to handle Algebra 2 by the time they graduate. If not, they should not graduate. If they are going to reduce standards, they might want to create a two-tier graduation diploma like they have in NY. Regents (More rigorous) and Non-regents (for people who can’t handle higher math, etc.).
Don’t need Algebra II to use food stamps, so why bother teaching it?
They really ought to incorporate quadratic equations into the EBT card so that those who “benefit” can use it.
i taught math in los angeles for many years. We had this requirement as well, the only thing it did was change alg2 into alg1.
I have never used AlgII or Calculus since Soph year in college. Kids need business math a whole lot more. We use this far more than the esoteric calculations of AlgII. Kids on a science and math track can still take it, just not required of every student.
There are many, many high schools in what used to be America where the average student IQ is 85 or below.
Do you seriously believe you could implement an Algebra II requirement in those schools that would not involve cheating on a massive scale?
There's enough pretending already. The Texas change will reduce the lying that pervades public education, and that's a good thing.
I can see everyone having to take Algebra 1 and Geometry. They develop analytical skills and are enough math to identify any students with math aptitude who might've been missed in elementary school.
It's gotten beyond ridiculous. My daughter will graduate high school with nearly enough credits for her AA. I think she will have one semester to go.
Currently she is in AP Physics. She says the class is designed so it is impossible to fail.
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