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NY’s proposal to embarassing 63% pass rate in Algebra: make the test easier
Hotair ^ | 11/30/2015 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 11/30/2015 1:51:01 PM PST by SeekAndFind

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1 posted on 11/30/2015 1:51:01 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Hopefully reality sets in before some college confers a degree in Chemical Engineering on any of these kids. If the Chemical Engineer doesn’t know what he’s doing, the billion dollar petrochemical plant blows up. Chemical reactions are racially blind; they don’t care about color of skin of the plant engineer.


2 posted on 11/30/2015 1:55:05 PM PST by henkster
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To: henkster

Most of these kids will either drop out of school or enroll in some fluff college course like Women’s or LGBT studies.

Engineering is not going to be of interest to them.


3 posted on 11/30/2015 2:02:01 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Why demand a higher standard of proficiency from students than of teachers?

I would be willing to bet serious money that 63% of educators in the Empire State cannot pass a college-ready proficiency test in Algebra.

4 posted on 11/30/2015 2:03:59 PM PST by FredZarguna (Deathblow: "Not because of who you are, but because of different reasons altogether.")
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To: SeekAndFind

So as to not have to admit that certain kids are not up to it, and that it is correlated with race.


5 posted on 11/30/2015 2:08:34 PM PST by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible. Complicit in the destruction of this country)
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To: henkster
Why wouldn't they. The Feds are allowing unqualified to become air traffic controllers so the precedent is set.

Grounded by FAA

6 posted on 11/30/2015 2:08:52 PM PST by RightOnTheBorder
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To: SeekAndFind

How does one make algebra easier? It is what it is - it’s either right or wrong. But then, algebra is logical and how many of todays high schoolers know anything about thinking logically? I suppose if you “feel” that your answer is correct, that’s good enough.


7 posted on 11/30/2015 2:11:02 PM PST by beelzepug (liberalism is not...a political philosophy. It is a stage of arrested emotional development.)
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To: SeekAndFind

My son graduated with his Chem E this spring from Purdue. His graduation session was all Engineering disciplines: Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical/Computer and Nuclear Engineering. I would guess there was a little less than a thousand kids getting those degrees in that session. Maybe a dozen were black, and of that dozen, half of them were not African-American, they were from Africa.

A few months later University President Mitch Daniels said there needs to be a push for more “diversity” in the Purdue Engineering schools. So there will be pressure to move minority students along whether they make the grade or not. And once they get the degree, they have a Golden Ticket. Every major corporation is also under pressure to “diversify” so they will get jobs, whether they are qualified or not.

They sure don’t need to diversify with more Asians, though. The roster of Electrical/Computer Engineering graduates read like a Shanghai phone book.


8 posted on 11/30/2015 2:11:04 PM PST by henkster
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To: SeekAndFind

Shouldn’t Left-Wing ‘Americans” embrace the AlGebra as one of the manifold benefits of Islamic thought?


9 posted on 11/30/2015 2:11:10 PM PST by Paladin2 (my non-desktop devices are no longer allowed to try to fix speling and punctuation, nor my gran-mah.)
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To: henkster
None of them would even get through the first Calculus course required by Engineering schools, so there's not going to be an issue.

Here's what will actually happen: the growing income gap between those educated (in disciplines actually valued by society) and those either not educated at all or majoring in various worthless tribal/identity disciplines will continue to grow.

Eventually, it will reach the point where it can no longer be ignored, at which time blog posters on Queer Theory and such will simply be deemed to have jobs "of comparable worth" to Chemical Engineers. Then, they'll be handed whatever income is needed to make up the difference between the market value of their "skillset" and the skills the country and society actually need.

All in the name of "social justice..."

10 posted on 11/30/2015 2:11:54 PM PST by FredZarguna (Deathblow: "Not because of who you are, but because of different reasons altogether.")
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To: SeekAndFind

Algebra is stupid anyway.

Teaches you to solve pwoblems?

1. Fix my speiling.

2. Only 10 or so equations are actually useful.

3. I not only earned A+’s in AP Mechanical Drafting, I tested out of several courses in college, which I attended at age 15 after testing out of high school in 10th grade.

4. Chess champion of High School, beating every senior, who pretended to be smawt. Chess champion of 8th grade and 3rd place in my county in 7th grade.

5. Made it this far in life and done more than most will ever do and I’m only 52, with new plans.

6. Can frame a window or door, square.

7. Figured out how to get my dogs to obey my 3 imperatives without ever fearing me.

8. Came up with a clever idea to fix a port-a-potti to just about any bed, so it can be safely mounted by the least agile and most fragile, with confidence it will not tip over. It will literally save their shit.

Just thought some other clever idiot would have thought of the same thing by now. Strange.

Most important: “I discovered infinite uses for duct tape, my favorite being its use for prevention of blisters”

Geometry on the other hand is more than useful, is the root of mathematics.


11 posted on 11/30/2015 2:12:33 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy" Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: SeekAndFind

More of whitey’s useless B.S.

Who needs algebra to charge stuff on an EBT card, sell dope, or make up home-made names?


12 posted on 11/30/2015 2:12:54 PM PST by Iron Munro (The wise have stores of choice food and oil but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20)
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To: SeekAndFind

How did we land a spacecraft on the moon and bring it back in the 60’s?
With this new crop of perpetually offended students I have serious doubts we could do the same thing today.


13 posted on 11/30/2015 2:15:07 PM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a Simple Manner for a Happy Life :o)
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To: SeekAndFind

Can they solve Quadratic Equations?


14 posted on 11/30/2015 2:18:52 PM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: henkster
If the Chemical Engineer doesn't know what he's doing, the billion dollar petrochemical plant blows up.
Chemical reactions are racially blind; they don't care about color of skin of the plant engineer.


15 posted on 11/30/2015 2:23:42 PM PST by Iron Munro (The wise have stores of choice food and oil but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20)
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To: SeekAndFind

So despite all the complaints about Common Core, at least it appears to be raising math standards.


16 posted on 11/30/2015 2:24:43 PM PST by wideminded
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To: Liberty Valance
How did we land a spacecraft on the moon and bring it back in the 60's?

A lot of brains and a lot of slide rules.


17 posted on 11/30/2015 2:25:19 PM PST by Iron Munro (The wise have stores of choice food and oil but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20)
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To: SeekAndFind

1. Teaching Math In 1950s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit ?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living?
Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it’s ok. )

6. Teaching Math In 2009
Un hachero vende una carretada de madera para $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha ganado?

7. Teaching Math In 2016 and on.
Who cares, just steal the lumber from your rich neighbor’s property. He won’t have a gun to stop you, and the President says it’s OK anyway cuz it’s redistributing the wealth.


18 posted on 11/30/2015 2:27:46 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: SeekAndFind

I have a novel idea: actually TEACH algebra.
The way they did it when I went to NY schools, they toss a bunch of words at the kids, fail to adequately describe the order of operations or methodology, then go “we’re done”.
And that was before Commie Core.


19 posted on 11/30/2015 2:30:30 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: I want the USA back

I’m a typical white guy but higher math and me never mixed.

My sister thinks algebra, calc, trig, etc is fun and easy. For me algebra was the only F I ever made in high school. Everything else A and B.

Having doctor level scribble didn’t help I’m sure. My comprehension is apparently out of whack.

However I am good at word/number problems such as accounting exercises. My sister would go into meltdown on most with two or three sentences.


20 posted on 11/30/2015 2:30:31 PM PST by wally_bert (I didn't get where I am today by selling ice cream tasting of bookends, pumice stone & West Germany)
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