http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/22/AR2010102205451.html
Twenty-seven years have passed since the publication of the report "A Nation at Risk," which warned of dire consequences if we did not reform our educational system. This report, not unlike the Sputnik scare of the 1950s, offered tremendous opportunities to universities and colleges to create and sell mathematics education programs.
Unfortunately, the marketing of math has become similar to the marketing of creams to whiten teeth, gels to grow hair and regimens to build a beautiful body.
There are three steps to this kind of aggressive marketing. The first is to convince people that white teeth, a full head of hair and a sculpted physique are essential to a good life. The second is to embarrass those who do not possess them. The third is to make people think that, since a good life is their right, they must buy these products.
So it is with math education.
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Those who do love math and science have been doing very well. Our graduate schools are the best in the world. This "nation at risk" has produced about 140 Nobel laureates since 1983 (about as many as before 1983).
As for the rest, there is no obligation to love math any more than grammar, composition, curfew or washing up after dinner. Why create a need to make it palatable to all and spend taxpayers' money on pointless endeavors without demonstrable results or accountability?
We survived the "New Math" of the 1960s. We will probably survive this math evangelism as well -- thanks to the irrelevance of pedagogical innovation.
The writer, G.V. Ramanathan, is a professor emeritus of mathematics, statistics and computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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After WWII the USA found itself in an ideal circumstance. In 1980 the game had changed but through largely financial "flim flam" and "smoke and mirrors" we managed to make USA lifestyle better than we could actually afford for the last 30 years. Now we are likely entering a period of austerity.
Remember all that social security money deducted from pay checks was largely funneled into general spending over the last 30 years. So there was no "Social Security" lock box -- wow Al Gore was wrong (imagine that).
So where is the investment happening in the USA to produce the jobs for the next several decades? R & D ??
As near as I can see whatever economic recovery that was going to happen has happened. Look at State Jobs in Olympia, now that there are no more Federal bailout dollars arriving there will be reductions in employment.
The stats have indicated that private employment is headed up and government employment is headed down. If you are waiting for a bigger recovery, on what will it be based?
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Our nation is not producing the technical professionals necessary to maintain our economic advantages in a highly competitive environment.
The idea that all students need advanced skills is ridiculous.
Look no further than what happened in LAUSD when all students were required to pass Geometry to graduate, the quality of Geometry courses rapidly declined.
Core-24 from WA SBE seems an absurd undertaking for a variety of reasons.
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Look for further declines in housing prices at least in Olympia, Washington.
How much math is really needed depends on the individual as well as national needs. The idea that all students need to reach a proficient level in Advanced Algebra to graduate is absurd. This requirement will only serve to lower the quality of Advanced Algebra classes and further debilitate the state and the nation.
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Needless to say the incredibly wasteful NSF/EHR "Reform Math" movement has contributed to mathematically disabling at least a generation of students.
.... but it sure has provided employment for marginally qualified extremely misguided math coaches accompanied by "Just Absolute ZIP" for results.
Zero accountability on every level for those who should be held responsible.
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