The New York Times Offers a Solution...

Long time readers know that periodically I rail on about the sorry state of math and science education in the U.S.  One of my oft-expressed worries is the rather evident superiority of the schooling of so many kids from other countries.  I have personal experience in this regard with the kids from Estonian and Russian school systems.

Now the New York Times (in the person of Andrew Hacker, an emeritus professor of Political Science at Queen's College, and frequently quoted by the same crowd that quotes Noam Chomsky – in other words, he's a far-left “Progressive”) offers us a simple solution: get rid of algebra.  In other words, if a subject is “too hard” for American students, the answer is to get rid of the subject.  To quote the good professor:

Instead of investing so much of our academic energy in a subject that blocks further attainment for much of our population, I propose that we start thinking about alternatives. Thus mathematics teachers at every level could create exciting courses in what I call “citizen statistics.” This would not be a backdoor version of algebra, as in the Advanced Placement syllabus. Nor would it focus on equations used by scholars when they write for one another. Instead, it would familiarize students with the kinds of numbers that describe and delineate our personal and public lives.

It could, for example, teach students how the Consumer Price Index is computed, what is included and how each item in the index is weighted — and include discussion about which items should be included and what weights they should be given.

So instead of teaching them one of the most basic mathematics skills, we should instead teach them how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide (the only arithmetic necessary to understand the CPI).

It's illuminating to see the liberal mind at work.  Depressing, but illuminating...