Teachers please explain the mathematics obsession

[Anonymous]

HS & MS teachers can you please explain what is behind the general obsession with mathematics (beyond an elementary level)?

Student don't understand it or have any ability in it, most higher level math courses have no application to 99.9% of students. Why not make math an elective in hs? It seems like an enormous misallocation of resources not to.

[Anonymous]

an elective?

[Anonymous]

Because it's foundational for a number of high-level career paths, including engineering, medicine, and applied sciences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it's foundational for a number of high-level career paths, including engineering, medicine, and applied sciences.

Plus general aspects of life - balancing your check book (or account), working out a budget, understanding how much you're spending in Bloomingdales on frippery, etc etc etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's foundational for a number of high-level career paths, including engineering, medicine, and applied sciences.

Plus general aspects of life - balancing your check book (or account), working out a budget, understanding how much you're spending in Bloomingdales on frippery, etc etc etc

Yes and level of math is learned by 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

What exactly do you think students should be studying in high school, OP?

Requiring mathematics of high schoolers is no more "obsessive" than requiring them to further their studies of English.

[Anonymous]

Understanding high level applied mathematics is a fundamental requirement for nearly every career field. Sure, there are plenty of adults who can't math very well but it's a handicap for them on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

OP math is key. It is a foundation on which you can understand the world (what does 50% chance of rain mean? What does a poll with an error rate of plus or minus 3 percent mean? How much will a mortgage rate decrease of 1
Percent save me? How many sales do I need to make next quarter? Did the drug I was testing to save the lives of cancer patients work? How can I actually make enough of the drug to get it to all the patients that need it?)

Teachers are "obsessed" with math. Ignorance is shameful. Sounds like you need to get over your anger and get to work. There are great resources online for you. Try the Khan academy. Help your kids to live in the 21st century.

[Anonymous]

If math is an elective, what do you consider a requirement? English lit? History?

[Anonymous]

We should make school optional after 14, right, OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Understanding high level applied mathematics is a fundamental requirement for nearly every career field. Sure, there are plenty of adults who can't math very well but it's a handicap for them on a daily basis.

No it is not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's foundational for a number of high-level career paths, including engineering, medicine, and applied sciences.

Plus general aspects of life - balancing your check book (or account), working out a budget, understanding how much you're spending in Bloomingdales on frippery, etc etc etc

That isn't taught. Finding areas under curves, double and triple probabilities etc are taught instead

[Anonymous]

It makes you use your brain, to figure out solutions to complex problems. It's not about the math. It's about the ability to think and solve complex problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What exactly do you think students should be studying in high school, OP?

Requiring mathematics of high schoolers is no more "obsessive" than requiring them to further their studies of English.

OP doesn't appear to be a huge fan of English either.

Latch hook rugs maybe? Decoupage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it's foundational for a number of high-level career paths, including engineering, medicine, and applied sciences.

And students interested in those careers can elect to take those (do you not understand what an elective is?), no need to punish everyone else