Looking back on my rudimentary math background, I view math, algebra & geometry as introductory problem solving (i.e. thinking) in real life and applied to most everything.
My Illinois state U mysteriously waived my need for math classes and it wasn’t because I was proficient in any of the disciplines. I believe they were short on math teachers...in 1968 !
For quite some time, if you were proficient in math, there were many jobs available outside of teaching.
And those who could have been math teachers were finding jobs outside of K-12, leaving others less skilled to teach the subject.
So, the irony is that many people believe math to be of little practical use, while its practicality leads to a shortage of proficient teachers.