Our Students Are Not Just Not Learning Math in School These Days.
A September report released by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is turning some heads toward education - one of those domestic issues that people keep telling us we are forgetting about. Yes, our nation is underperforming in mathematics, and we are blaming so-called "fuzzy math" for this underperformance, according to today's New York Times. Apparently, in recent years education has turned away from traditional practices of teaching math to young students in favor of ways that do not "stifle their creativity."
But, while we panic over our poor performance in math, (afterall, our children are the future, the future is technology, and math and science are the route to technology, therefore our future is math) we ignore the fact that our school system is simply underperforming. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you that our schools are underperforming; professors of literature, communications, philosophy, and even education can tell you the same thing. There is a shockingly large number of students in America who don't perform any academic task at or above grade level. In our best public schools we have about 75% of students performing at grade level, and in the worst, we've got 75% performing well below grade level.
Worse, the system for addressing these problems is corrupt - and the corruption is essential to its design. Diverting money from poorly performing schools to schools that perform well is not a way to improve education for all. The idea is that students will eventually be forced to move to these schools that are doing well, but economic and social factors prevent this. Not everyone can afford to live in the suburbs, and upper-middle-class suburbanites tend to live there in part because not everyone else can.
Should we be shocked that America is performing poorly in math? I would argue not. Should we still talk about it? Absolutely. But let's talk about the millions of Americans who can barely read also. Let's talk about how education in general is not living up to our needs or our values. Let's not just worry that we are losing those highly-valued math-and-science-related jobs to professionals from other countries.
A September report released by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is turning some heads toward education - one of those domestic issues that people keep telling us we are forgetting about. Yes, our nation is underperforming in mathematics, and we are blaming so-called "fuzzy math" for this underperformance, according to today's New York Times. Apparently, in recent years education has turned away from traditional practices of teaching math to young students in favor of ways that do not "stifle their creativity."
But, while we panic over our poor performance in math, (afterall, our children are the future, the future is technology, and math and science are the route to technology, therefore our future is math) we ignore the fact that our school system is simply underperforming. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you that our schools are underperforming; professors of literature, communications, philosophy, and even education can tell you the same thing. There is a shockingly large number of students in America who don't perform any academic task at or above grade level. In our best public schools we have about 75% of students performing at grade level, and in the worst, we've got 75% performing well below grade level.
Worse, the system for addressing these problems is corrupt - and the corruption is essential to its design. Diverting money from poorly performing schools to schools that perform well is not a way to improve education for all. The idea is that students will eventually be forced to move to these schools that are doing well, but economic and social factors prevent this. Not everyone can afford to live in the suburbs, and upper-middle-class suburbanites tend to live there in part because not everyone else can.
Should we be shocked that America is performing poorly in math? I would argue not. Should we still talk about it? Absolutely. But let's talk about the millions of Americans who can barely read also. Let's talk about how education in general is not living up to our needs or our values. Let's not just worry that we are losing those highly-valued math-and-science-related jobs to professionals from other countries.
posted by Anonymous | 6:24 PM
1 Comments:
Who cares about math? Why bother when we can channel surf cable tee vee or play stupid video games, like Grand Theft Auto? Or absorb BS from our favorite right-wing hypocrits in Congress? Get real.
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