Texas public schools drop Algebra ll as a grad. Requirement.. (private school, taxes)

[EasilyAmused]

Apparently to keep up with the realities of the "modern workforce." ah, um..ok.

Way to dumb it down Texas. sheeesh .


All of ours have churned through that by sophomore year, and have at least another year of math to go.

[cheryjohns]

Yeah, let's cut down on anything STEM. Guess we are trying to produce an uneducated work force. Science classes on the chopping block next. Maybe they needed to add a Dancing With The Stars Appreciation class instead.

[Hollywood Hogan]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

Yeah, let's cut down on anything STEM. Guess we are trying to produce an uneducated work force. Science classes on the chopping block next. Maybe they needed to add a Duck Dynasty Appreciation class instead.

fixed

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by hollywood hogan

fixed

lol.

[crone]

Is that Duck Dynasty fund raiser for Northland Christian School sold out at 100 bucks a head? That should tell us something.

[jfre81]

Algebra II was not a requirement, per se, when I was in school. It was required for the "recommended" graduation plan that they said would get you into UT, A&M etc.

I took a different math class that covered more real-world math applications. Maybe that should be a requirement.

Not everyone is going to be bisecting polynomials in their chosen field, but we've all got to know how to file our taxes and manage their bank accounts. Algebra class never went over that.

[jerbear30]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Algebra II was not a requirement, per se, when I was in school. It was required for the "recommended" graduation plan that they said would get you into UT, A&M etc.

I took a different math class that covered more real-world math applications. Maybe that should be a requirement.

Not everyone is going to be bisecting polynomials in their chosen field, but we've all got to know how to file our taxes and manage their bank accounts. Algebra class never went over that.

The problem is that this results in a kind of top down class warfare. When you take out the more high-minded pursuits from the basic public education, what you get is another step in the de facto separation of the rich from the poor. Yeah, sure, "not everybody" is going to go on to higher pursuits but first we have to get to where everybody does have a chance to go on to them. Eliminating subjects like Algebra II from public education is just another way of giving an advantage to kids whose parents can afford private school or extra tutoring. Not cool at all.

[swopoe]

The word algebra is scary, but it really is basic math. A second grader, like mine, is doing algebra...they just aren't calling it that.

It is shocking to me that something as simple as algebra would not be required to graduate from high school. I had algebra II in the 8th grade when I was in school.

[EasilyAmused]

They aren't eliminating it, just not requiring it. The sad thing is they treat pursuing Algrebra ll as a advanced course, when most average Sophomores should have covered it. It's just sad.

They don't even cover Physics anymore, which most public Juniors used too, and all private Juniors have covered as a basic progression science.

[golferadam]

Certainly seems like a step in the wrong direction...