I agree with him 100%

I agree as well. Too often society tries to fit everyone into a one-size-fits-all mold and it hampers those with potential to excel. I hated high school algebra, but not because I wasn't good at it. Quite the opposite. I hated it because the teacher had to slow down the class so much for the 50% that were NEVER going to pass anyways. Our society would benefit much better with an emphasis on vocational classes in school systems. Fuck No Child Left Behind...get the kids that aren't going to be college students some real world training so they can have a leg up as a blue collar worker.

While I agree that the educational system in the United States needs to be reformed (and potentially rebuilt entirely), I don't think cutting algebra in favour of statistics is the proper step. Algebra is fundamental to statistics to begin with. The CPI is just a weighted average- and if you ask an eighth grader to compute a weighted average, he or she should be able to do that. Replacing high school mathematics with this sort of basic statistics is CERTAINLY a dumbing down of the curriculum. Algebra shouldn't be eliminated, but it shouldn't be taught the way it is.

Up to about tenth grade, I think a single educational system makes sense. There are some things everyone should know, all of which are taught before 10th grade. From there, students should be able to specialise. This is beyond basic algebra, but before trigonometry and precalculus. This would save students like myself from spending so much time on literary analysis and students that don't want to pursue a STEM career from additional unnecessary maths. I'll use every bit of algebra that I learned, from conic sections to logarithms to factoring polynomials.

I am with Thraxle, we should track all of the minorities and other undesirables into trade skills and ensure the honestly intelligent are given the best chance to become great at whatever their favored subjects are. Too often future managerial savants are forced to suffer math while future science and tech geniuses slog through AP literature. We should ensure we have a stable and skilled working class supporting are strong and affluent middle class with our rightful superiors in the landed gentry ensuring our course as a nation is on the right path.

I bet you think that was a troll post too...

I agree with the premise, but how are you going to make sure kids just don't take math because they are lazy?

Algebra is required for some vocations. Any where you have to do calculations over and over again. To get leverage, you will need to develop a template. With pencil and paper that would be a formula. In other words, algebra. With a calculator, that would be a program. With a spreadsheet, that would be a template spredsheet with formulas (algebra) in the appropriate cells.

Also, you need algebra to do the TAZD.

well if you need it for TAZD then...definitely should be required for all students

Jesus Christ Sam, could you be any more obtuse? Did you even read my statement? Based on your reaction I might as well have typed "since white males are generally better at algebra, we should require all blacks and Mexicans to take vocational classes to ensure our white male superiority".

What is more desirable, a student dropping out of high school because they can't pass math, or that student learning to become a welder, or a carpenter, or a plumber, etc., etc.? Fuck sake, there are welders and electricians in the Naval Shipyard here that make in excess of $75,000 per year...far more than I make in my "business job". My idea for teaching vocations in high school will INCREASE the population of middle class in this country. Instead of dropping out of high school (which by the way, that means they aren't going to succeed in any of the traditional ways) these kids could learn a viable trade that earns them solid incomes. I'm not saying we train these kids to flip burgers for crying out loud. I'm looking to give these "drop-outs" a chance to lead a middle-class life and give the next generation in their family a better chance to succeed.

That was a very unimpressive post by you Sam. I'm used to better from you...

UNIMPRESSIVE POSTS ARE UNIMPRESSIVE, SAM.

this writer is an idiot, i was just trolling you chloe