Algebra-waiver push goes statewide

Santa Cruz Sentinel ^ | May 13, 2004 | DAVID SCHARFENBERG

[freebilly]

Algebra is one of the most useful tools for grasping and solving real life problems.

Down here in Santa Cruz County, we may not know how fast a plane from Logan Airport can get to a building in downtown Manhatten if it's traveling 500 miles an hour, but we do pride ourselves on being one of the most gay friendly communities in America....

[anniegetyourgun]

Oh what the heck, why not just let 'em waive high school altogether.

[Red Badger]

I don't know why people think that ALGEBRA is difficult. It really isn't. I think it is because of the name AL-GEBRA is ARABIC! from al-jabr (literally, the reduction)..........................TERRORISM IN MATH!

[Puppage]

Santa Cruz City Schools officials realized this fall they’d failed to inform high school students and staff that, starting with the Class of 2004, pupils needed to pass algebra to graduate.

Gee, did they also inform them that they'd have to pass English and Gym, too?

[valkyrieanne]

Well ... yes and no. Most of high school algebra isn't word problem solving about how long it takes to get from Santa Cruz to Albequerque. That's actually sixth-seventh grade math.

To pass algebra, students need to learn negative number arithmetic, exponents, the straight-line equation and the x-y coordinate system, solving quadratic equations, and factoring.

Algebra isn't meant to be a terminal arithmetic course - that's what elementary/middle school math is for. Algebra is meant to be the *first* foundation course in the series of college-prep math that leads up to calculus (and for some kids, differential equations.)

[freebilly]

Oh what the heck, why not just let 'em waive high school altogether.

Hey, with dad, mom, and the hamster working, who'd watch the kids...?

[gr8eman]

I had to explain the Pythagorean triangle concept to my boss recently when I was doing a survey! When I told him that is how I used to square shingles when roofing a house he became impressed!

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

"Algebra is one of the most useful tools for grasping and solving real life problems.

Down here in Santa Cruz County, we may not know how fast a plane from Logan Airport can get to a building in downtown Manhatten if it's traveling 500 miles an hour, but we do pride ourselves on being one of the most gay friendly communities in America...."


How come no one has suggested cross disciplinary curriculum to your politically correct schools in Santa Cruz?

Safe sex and Algebra I, for instance.

"If Darrell uses 3 times as many condoms as Spencer and Spencer uses them at the rate of 24 per week, how many will this committed copulating couple need to purchase in a leap year?"

[nmh]

It is critical that kids learn algebra. Pay raises, expenses, projected analysis etc.. If the U.S. keeps up this dumbing down we won't have a future.

There are too many who are shall we say less than functional. MOST can't even count back change after a purchase. They'll see the amount of change to give and just count up to that amount. It's getting ridiculous.

[martin_fierro]

Read an article in one of those free newspapers (over lunch yesterday in Boulder Creek) that showed the % of Santa Cruz County HS seniors writing at college level.

I think Scotts Valley was at the top at 85%. Watsonville was dead last at something like 50%.

[GOPgirl_VA]

At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual later discovered to be
a public school teacher was arrested trying to board a flight while in
possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, and a calculator.

Attorney General John Ashcroft believes the man is a member of the
notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged with carrying weapons of
math instruction.

Al-gebra is a very fearsome cult, indeed. They desire average solutions by
means and extremes, and sometimes go off on a tangent in a search of
absolute value. They consist of quite shadowy figures, with names like "x"
and "y", and, although they are frequently referred to as "unknowns", we
know they really belong to a common denominator and are part of the axis of
medieval with coordinates in every country. As the great Greek philanderer
Isosceles used to say, there are 3 sides to every angle, and if God had
wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given
us more fingers and toes.

Therefore, I'm extremely grateful that our government has given us a sine
that it is intent on protracting us from these math-dogs who are so willing
to disintegrate us with calculus disregard. These statistic bastards love
to inflict plane on every sphere of influence. Under the circumferences,
it's time we differentiated their root, made our point, and drew the line.
These weapons of math instruction have the potential to decimal everything
in their math on
a scalene never before seen unless we become exponents of a Higher Power
and begin to factor-in random facts of vertex. As our Great Leader would
say, Read my ellipse.

Here is one principle he is uncertainty of---though they continue to
multiply, their days are numbered and the hypotenuse will tighten around
their necks.

[snopercod]

Speaking of the x-y coordinate system, I learned AutoCAD a couple of years ago. Knowing the x-y and polar coordinate systems are an absolute must to even operate that program.

I was surprised at how many of the college-level people had problems with those.

Oh, I dropped out of that class when the instructor told me that "I was too far ahead of the rest of the class" and would have to just sit there until they caught up.

[Carry_Okie]

Some districts, like Santa Cruz, say the state did a poor job informing them of the new requirement, penned in 2000 by state Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno.

Let's see: It's been four YEARS since this requirement was written and these idiots claim they didn't know.

I think we've identified the problem.

[Tacis]

Give them the exam and see what happens. Any stutent who are cultuarlly, socially, economically historically underappreciated by society or evil white folks must be assumed to be correct when X = 3,4,6,7,8,9 with up to 3 decimal point of any combination. That's the only fair way to do it.

Of course, the real issue isn't the seniors or whether they graduate. The issue is the poor union teachers who may not have rigged their course plan to get the maximum passes to ensure the maximum bonus for themselves. And, with union teachers, the largest bonuses have to go to the most senior teachers so this could really hurt. Teaching would be such a great and noble occupation if it weren't for all the classes, grading work and dumb kids.

[Carry_Okie]

AutoCAD can be self-taught. Most CAD programs are really easy.

[blanknoone]

The administrators need to take a reading comprehension course. Preferably a better one than what their school probably offers.

[expatguy]

Condom + Banana class

[Cobra64]

Geometry, Algebra I and II are no brainers. Now calculus and statistics can be a stretch for some folks.

[Carry_Okie]

Algebra isn't meant to be a terminal arithmetic course - that's what elementary/middle school math is for. Algebra is meant to be the *first* foundation course in the series of college-prep math that leads up to calculus (and for some kids, differential equations.)

I've taught Algebra to a six year old. She's eleven now and doing college calculus. There's no excuse. Virtually all of what is taught in the first three years of college should be accomplished by the end of high school.

[Carry_Okie]

The administrators need to take a reading comprehension course. Preferably a better one than what their school probably offers.

I disagree.

They should be taught to wash dishes and mow lawns so that they could do something productive. The people who are taking jobs Americans won't do then won't be needed.