By: DuWayne Krause

DuWayne Krause — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:03:41 +0000

If a student is going into a STEM field and you need Algebra 2 to succeed in STEM then that student should be taking Algebra 2. However, Algebra 2 has no relevance to the overwhelming majority of students. Those students should be learning math that they can use in their chosen fields/direction. Why would you force those students into the Algebra 2, pre-Calc, Calc track? It is a total waste of time, for them and in all likelihood most of those students will hate those classes. As a math teacher, it seems to me that what is covered in Algebra 2 is pointless, to most nonSTEM/related field students. The Algebra 2 requirement, in fields where it is not relevant results in a huge number of students having to abandon their professional dreams, when they can’t pass the class.

By: Andrew Biggs

Andrew Biggs — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 20:02:20 +0000

It seems useful to distinguish between “data literacy,” which the courses at Adolfo Camarillo High School appear to provide, and preparation for “data science” at the college level, which appears to require a more rigorous foundation in formal mathematics, including Algebra II. Data literacy classes appear to be very useful, both in school and later in everyday life. But if students are led to believe that such classes are equivalent to Algebra II in preparing them for STEM majors in data science and a career in those fields following graduation, they may end up disappointed.

Comments on: Data science under fire: What math do high schoolers really need?

By: DuWayne Krause

By: Andrew Biggs