Teachers please explain the mathematics obsession

[Anonymous]

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

Also, anything econ or finance based...

[Anonymous]

I'm an economist. I use calculus all of the time. In order to get a graduate degree in public policy, psychology, Sociology, political science, or even history, you need to know calculus, preferably multivariate. That's what enables you to understand the statistics that underpin any kind of hypothesis testing in social science. Then there's the math you need for serious work in the sciences.

The logic you learn in math classes also enables you to learn to code.

The math-free jpbs that many people in DC have, as lawyers, journalists, non profiteers, are in dying fields in many cases. If you don't go to a top law school, you are no longer guaranteed a job that will pay enough to cover your loans. Journalism no longer pays middle class salaries outside a few select publications. Math gives your kids options. They will need them more than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an economist. I use calculus all of the time. In order to get a graduate degree in public policy, psychology, Sociology, political science, or even history, you need to know calculus, preferably multivariate. That's what enables you to understand the statistics that underpin any kind of hypothesis testing in social science. Then there's the math you need for serious work in the sciences.

The logic you learn in math classes also enables you to learn to code.

The math-free jpbs that many people in DC have, as lawyers, journalists, non profiteers, are in dying fields in many cases. If you don't go to a top law school, you are no longer guaranteed a job that will pay enough to cover your loans. Journalism no longer pays middle class salaries outside a few select publications. Math gives your kids options. They will need them more than you.

Just to defend the lawyers here. I am a lawyer and I use math all the time. Every case I do has a damages component to it and many also have technical components involving math. While I don't perform calculations, I certainly need to understand advanced principles in order to do my job.

[Anonymous]

I think OP is perhaps trolling but let me just say, don't make math an elective. We need more engineers, more scientists, not more liberal arts majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you a homeschooling parent who isn't very good at math and resents having to teach it?

Math is incredibly important. The next time you go to a Starbucks or retail store or restaurant, hand someone $7.03 for your $6.43 check after they've already opened the drawer. You'll figure out pretty quickly who is good at math. See how long it takes some friends to figure out how to tip on a check. Do you have friends who are always short of money because they can't do a budget?

Plus in the future, science/tech jobs will be some of the best jobs. Kids need to be equipped to take those jobs.

Everyone should have a base of knowledge. Not everyone needs to take calculus, so that can probably be an elective.

Are you being purposefully obtuse? Subtraction is covered in 1st grade, % can be calculated using smartphone calculators, budgeting has to do with self control not math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

OP, I hate math and I'm terrible at it, but even I realize math is important. Many careers do require a decent bit of higher level math, and having a strong understanding of basic everyday math is helpful to pretty much everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an economist. I use calculus all of the time. In order to get a graduate degree in public policy, psychology, Sociology, political science, or even history, you need to know calculus, preferably multivariate. That's what enables you to understand the statistics that underpin any kind of hypothesis testing in social science. Then there's the math you need for serious work in the sciences.

The logic you learn in math classes also enables you to learn to code.

The math-free jpbs that many people in DC have, as lawyers, journalists, non profiteers, are in dying fields in many cases. If you don't go to a top law school, you are no longer guaranteed a job that will pay enough to cover your loans. Journalism no longer pays middle class salaries outside a few select publications. Math gives your kids options. They will need them more than you.

Economist here too. It's clear that the UAS doesn't have an advantage in STEM. Increasing skilled immigration and letting is the best solution

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything beyond algebra and geometry is pretty much useless for most of us. Learning to use a graphing calculator has done nothing for me in my adult life. We would all be better served if there was a requirement for a personal finance class.

That's what my neighbor said until her husband walked out and she realized that she didn't want to reach other people's kids all day - but that was her degree and she had no other options for a higher paying job as she had little math or science education.

I have "little math or science education". Last years HHI was $2.7 Million. Your experiences are not universal

And what percentage (see what I did there?) did YOU make?

[Anonymous]

if won't understand if you can ask such a question. why bother?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything beyond algebra and geometry is pretty much useless for most of us. Learning to use a graphing calculator has done nothing for me in my adult life. We would all be better served if there was a requirement for a personal finance class.

That's what my neighbor said until her husband walked out and she realized that she didn't want to reach other people's kids all day - but that was her degree and she had no other options for a higher paying job as she had little math or science education.

I have "little math or science education". Last years HHI was $2.7 Million. Your experiences are not universal

And what percentage (see what I did there?) did YOU make?

OP's weekly HHI is higher than what math teachers make all year

[Anonymous]

Every time you park your car, you are using geometry.
Every time you rearrange your room to accomodate a new piece of furniture, you are using geometry.

Unfortunately, MOST geometry teachers SUCK at teaching the subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every time you park your car, you are using geometry.
Every time you rearrange your room to accomodate a new piece of furniture, you are using geometry.

Unfortunately, MOST geometry teachers SUCK at teaching the subject.

Um, no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, as an employer its got a tremendous sorting effect for me. If you took calculus, I know you can handle complex problems. If you didn't, I assume you can't or that you could but chose to avoid it. Even if I don't need you to do calculus, knowing that you could is important to me. Its much easier for me to do this using math, which is objective, as a proxy for competence, than other disciplines.

But just because you find it a useful proxy for hiring doesn't mean it's actually a useful skill for the vast majority of people who are required to take it. Let's just say schools no longer required calculus but instead chess and Suduko. That would then become your new proxy.

[Anonymous]

OP is right. The cash registers at the fast food restaurant where OP's child will work can do all the math, so OP's child need not know it.

[Anonymous]

I do think the math obsession does hurt some students. Some are being accelerated who have not mastered basic competencies.