YOU DON’T HAVE TO READ THE ESSAY
…to know what Redovich is going to say in his weekly rant. It’s pretty much the same each week. Today’s is notable, perhaps, for having among the longest and most convoluted titles in the series.
There is No Rationale for High Stakes Testing for Promotion in Elementary Schools or for High School Graduation, Labeling Public Schools as Failing Schools and Creating Private Choice and Charter Schools
One small section deserves highlighting for its sheer idiocy:
Algebra and higher math courses were useless for most students 40 years ago, when I taught it in high school, and are useless in 2003 for most students, except for college
Math and science are mystiques because many students and adults have difficulty with math and science courses like chemistry and physics. Mathematicians and scientists perpetuate the mystique by claiming super human powers for the skills they possess.
Call me “Superman.” One reason chemistry and physics are difficult for some students is that they haven’t mastered the algebra and calculus necessary to understand the subjects. In my field, Analytical Chemistry, the math required rarely rises above Algebra I level. But, I couldn’t have gotten through college and grad school without calculus and diff-eq. After all, I might have decided to go into P-Chem. Without the higher level math that Redovich constantly disses, a lot of doors would have never opened.
This country doesn’t produce nearly as many B.S. (that’s Bachelor of Science) chemists as the economy requires. The unemployment rate for Ph.D. chemists has traditionally hovered around one percent, even after “importing” the best and brightest from overseas. Most high school students don’t know what they want to be when they grow up. Some of them will make fine chemists and physicists. But not if they bomb out of the high school level courses because they haven’t mastered the math.
Sorry for the anti-rant. The more I read, the angrier I got.
5 Responses to “YOU DON’T HAVE TO READ THE ESSAY”
 Comment by meep December 8th, 2003 at 7:02 am |
Why do I get the feeling it’s Redovich’s own insecurities on display rather than the arrogance of the math & science types? Most of the math & science people I know are more depressed that math is being so mistaught that college students (with decent SAT scores, I might add) cannot solve linear equations in their calculus homework (“I didn’t know I’d still have to do that stuff!”…bleh) And only the dimmest of the math & science people would equate being able to do calculus with super-intelligence. Some get cocky for knowing the intricacies of string theory, but they have no real impact on society. They keep to their ghettos, for the safety of us all. |
 Comment by Eric Holcombe December 8th, 2003 at 11:56 am |
“Children in our poorest schools in 2003 can use computers with more competency than most adults” Yes, but will they ever be able to design, construct or program one? Not without some of those “useless” math tests. I’ve never read this fellow’s material before, but frankly, I’m amazed at his level of education given his quality of writing on this piece. Maybe he was having a bad day. |
 Comment by Daryl December 8th, 2003 at 12:04 pm |
Maybe he was having a bad day. Judge for yourself- here are his archives. |
 Comment by Nick Blesch December 8th, 2003 at 1:26 pm |
Math and science are mystiques because many students and adults have difficulty with math and science courses like chemistry and physics. This doesn’t even make any sense – “mystiques?” I’ve never heard the word used like that; I think he meant “mysteries,” although I will admit I could be wrong… Anybody know? |
 Comment by MYSTIC December 8th, 2003 at 11:07 pm |
Honestly, I understand where he gets his opinion that math and science are useless, and I blame the public schools. The math and science teachers don’t inform their students about why the classes are important; the subjects are presented about a bunch of dull formulas that seem totally disconnected from the world. I once asked my pre-calculus teacher why her class should be important to me in my life and she replied, “So that you can graduate.” |