Our slow economic and moral decline from our beginnings of outcasts raping, stealing, and genocide? I am so confused.

I know you are confused. Don't worry. One feels like a Vet doctor attempting to get a clear history from a pet in the office. This is an impossible task. One simply executes and all will be well.

Our slow economic and moral decline from our beginnings of outcasts raping, stealing, and genocide? I am so confused.

When were you born?

And your understanding of global economic forces is a little simplistic, in my opinion. But then I took Algebra I in 8th grade, not 7th.

Clearly, well before you given your narrow superficial historical context. Americans seem to seek outside blame for their continual shortcomings and failures. One can trace these shortcomings to the outcasts landing on our shores, in Jamestown and Plymouth Rock, the American Indian rape fest and genocide, to the framers of the US constitution's restrictive and exclusive definition of WE the people, the civil war to preserve slavery, all the way to the present day Tea Baggers -- the core of the Republican Party.

To borrow from 8th grade Algebra (systems of equations or inequality) : it's true: there are global economic forces seeking to restore equality from longstanding systematic attempts at preserving inequality

The dumbing down of education in America, poor science and math primary and secondary school instruction (math phobia), seem certain to conspire with global economic forces in our slow economic and moral decline.

Anonymous wrote:For one of the richest countries on earth the math curriculum in our area, esteemed, independent, private middle schools is poor. Do you now understand the relevance?

No. You clearly have not show the relevance.

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think that the US is the richest country on earth -- not per capita, anyway. Among the richest, but not the richest.

But in any case, what does that have to do with the math curriculum in private middle schools?

You are right. When I was born the US was indeed the richest country on earth by any measure. The poor education in math today for its children will simply support the continual descent down that global ladder of richness. Oh, what a difference a mere generation makes?

When were you born?

And your understanding of global economic forces is a little simplistic, in my opinion. But then I took Algebra I in 8th grade, not 7th.

Anonymous wrote:For one of the richest countries on earth the math curriculum in our area, esteemed, independent, private middle schools is poor. Do you now understand the relevance?

Nope, I still don't see the connection between "We are hypocrites for telling other countries what to do when we have so many poor children" and "The middle-school math curriculum at private schools for (mostly) rich people is bad".

I don't think that the US is the richest country on earth -- not per capita, anyway. Among the richest, but not the richest.

But in any case, what does that have to do with the math curriculum in private middle schools?

You are right. When I was born the US was indeed the richest country on earth by any measure. The poor education in math today for its children will simply support the continual descent down that global ladder of richness. Oh, what a difference a mere generation makes?

For one of the richest countries on earth the math curriculum in our area, esteemed, independent, private middle schools is poor. Do you now understand the relevance?

I don't think that the US is the richest country on earth -- not per capita, anyway. Among the richest, but not the richest.

But in any case, what does that have to do with the math curriculum in private middle schools?

The richest country on earth with a quarter of its children in poverty. Hmm the math and morals don't add up here. What an embarrassment. And we actually think we have enough credibility to tell the rest of the world what to do with a straight face?

We will continue to be increasingly mocked and ignored by the rest of the world for blazon hyprocrisy -- and not our leadership.

Let middle school kids study Algebra, Geometry and Calculus if they desire and are capable. Keep your religious philosophies about education in your own bedrooms.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS middle school has a third of the class taking Algebra in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th. But yeah, keep telling yourself that you're paying $30,000 a year for "depth."

Why do you have a problem how people spend their money? And what makes you think that I am jealous because you are in DCPS??

NP here. Wow you took that personally. Why would you even bother to respond?

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS middle school has a third of the class taking Algebra in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th. But yeah, keep telling yourself that you're paying $30,000 a year for "depth."

Why do you have a problem how people spend their money? And what makes you think that I am jealous because you are in DCPS??

Anonymous wrote:

Well, one reason is that we're a rich country with a lot of poor kids. But that doesn't really fit into your argument about O levels.

Is that an oxymoron? Pity the poor countries and there poorer kids. But wait, doesn't Vietnam beat our kids on this exam?

No, it's not an oxymoron. Why would it be? The US is one of the richest countries in the world, going by per capita income. And roughly a quarter of US children live in families with incomes below the poverty level. It's shameful, but it's not an oxymoron.

And Vietnam is not a rich country with a lot of poor kids. Vietnam is a poor country with a lot of poor kids. And I don't think that the study populations in Vietnam and the US were comparable, although I'm open to changing my mind, if you can find information in the PISA data that shows they were.

Anonymous wrote:[
Are you trying to brag because you have heard about O levels?

Why do American students perform poorly on Math in the PISA exams year in and year out?

Why do the students in the public magnet schools perform at a higher level in math than kids in local private schools?

Why do the kids in the local private schools who perform highly in math resemble the kids in the local public magnet schools?

1) No, but I'm making a point that the ed systems are different and that your reference to O levels was not informative.

2) If you bother checking out the analyses of the PISA exams, the US scores are typical of American students, but the non-US scores often only include their best.

3) The public magnets are STEM schools. Of course they are going to have higher math scores than schools that are attractive to the best humanities/social science students. And no, there is comparison between what's commonly taught at Sidwell or GDS to the AP English offered at the publics.

4) Huh? What's your point? Are kids supposed to look any different?

The public magnets in the area are great for a STEM oriented kid. But if you live in DC or Alexandria, they aren't open to your kids. And, not everyone wants to be an engineer.

Re: community college - started there, ended up #1 in my undergrad and grad school classes of several 100 students. So community college is not all dumb people -- and I did not take Algebra until 9th grade. But my DCs took in 7th grade and understand more about math (and technology, and probably life) at the age of 12 than I ever did.

Who said they were dumb? I've met many bright people in community colleges and went to school with dumb folk at Harvard.