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Math as a Civil Right: Voting rights advocate calls for mathematics literacy
Science News ^
| Week of July 21, 2007; Vol. 172, No. 3
| Julie J. Rehmeyer
Posted on 07/25/2007 11:03:48 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
 |
Mathematics literacy is a new civil rights battleground, according to the renowned activist and political organizer Robert Parris Moses. Using the same ideas and methods that he once used to fight for voting rights in the South, Moses is working to increase access to quality mathematics education through the Algebra Project, a nationwide program that he founded... Today, Moses says, many young people are excluded from full participation in the country's economy because they lack mathematical literacy... The ubiquity of computers makes abstract, quantitative reasoning skills critical to a wide range of job opportunities... Moses founded the Algebra Project in 1982 with funds from a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" that he received for his work on voting rights. Initially, he focused on the goal of making sure that all students learn algebra, which he calls "the gatekeeper of citizenship." ... "Because of the deep racial and class divisions," Moses says, "we've never been able to quite hold ourselves responsible for all the children in the country." [photo: B. Moynihan] |
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: innumeracy; macarthurfoundation; math; matheducation
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Because of the deep racial and class divisions in his mind, he'll never be a responsible advocate for equality.
1
posted on
07/25/2007 11:03:54 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
2
posted on
07/25/2007 11:09:23 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(Profile updated Monday, July 23, 2007 https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
3
posted on
07/25/2007 11:10:35 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(Profile updated Monday, July 23, 2007 https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; KlueLass; ...
4
posted on
07/25/2007 11:10:57 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(Profile updated Monday, July 23, 2007 https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: SunkenCiv
This article says that poor areas have schools that get less money than wealthier areas, and that this is not unconstitutional. Okay, as far as that goes, may be a true statement.
But, Washington DC spends more per pupil than many other places, and has some of the worst public schools in the country. Money alone is not the answer.
To: SunkenCiv
Initially, he focused on the goal of making sure that all students learn algebra, which he calls "the gatekeeper of citizenship."He might want to start be seeing to it that Government school children learn basic arithmetic first.
6
posted on
07/25/2007 11:12:10 AM PDT
by
facedown
(Armed in the Heartland)
To: SunkenCiv
You ‘d have to cut out some of the other classes like “Diverse Lifestyles”, “The Liberal View of American History”, “How to apply a Condom”, and others first.
Then get the kids to pay attention. They kids that want to excel usually do, the problem the instant gratification generation has ingrained the belief that you do not need to work for things in life and that listening to rap/heavy metal music. riding a skateboard, or playing ball rate a higher priority than preparing for life.
To: SunkenCiv
It costs more than $1.5 million to graduate a single student who is proficient in math from the Washington, D.C. public school district.
To: facedown
be, bee, by, bi, sputter.....
9
posted on
07/25/2007 11:13:15 AM PDT
by
facedown
(Armed in the Heartland)
To: SunkenCiv
the irony is that he is right in that math is not being taught fundamentally as it was even 30 years ago. Aside from actually having to teach/pass the material as a cause/effect, I would suspect the introduction of calculators at young ages into classes for even mundane calculations is a big culprit in preventing the early grasp of basic abstract concepts in math.
To: Resolute Conservative
Maybe some other Freepers here know, wasn’t there a court case in Kansas City which sought integration of the schools? And the judge ordered that more money be spent on the minority schools rather than just busing kids back and forth?
Anyway, the result was that in spite of greater resources and upgrading the educational facilities attended by poor and minority students, that their achievement did not increase as had been hoped for. It was a sad failure to see the complaints of poor facilities and inadequate resources directly addressed, and not see improvement in student achievement.
To: SunkenCiv
Sure why not... another “right”... all it takes is a bunch of lawyers and one judge to say it’s so. ;-)
12
posted on
07/25/2007 11:17:53 AM PDT
by
rhombus
To: WoofDog123
I was not allow a calculator in class until college. Now my 8th grader has one and he struggling with concepts shows it.
To: SunkenCiv
“Math as a Civil Right: Voting rights advocate calls for mathematics literacy”
So, you have a civil right not to be stupid. My ex-wife needs to find herself a lawyer. . .
To: Dilbert San Diego; facedown; Resolute Conservative; theBuckwheat; WoofDog123
There seems to be creeping leftism at work at the Science News. Here’s an article about faux research which purports to show that collectivism works and free markets don’t. I guess that explains why the Soviet Union had bread lines for 70 years, mass deportations, mass murder by starvation and forced labor, etc etc.
Free Choice + Punishment = Cooperation
Making participation voluntary may discourage cheating
Julie J. Rehmeyer
Week of July 14, 2007; Vol. 172, No. 2
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070714/mathtrek.asp
15
posted on
07/25/2007 11:21:02 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(Profile updated Monday, July 23, 2007 https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: theBuckwheat
But then they understands this:
16
posted on
07/25/2007 11:21:51 AM PDT
by
AdmSmith
To: SunkenCiv
To: facedown
yes he wants to teach about racial and class division!
To: SunkenCiv
That is also why you never hear an American history teacher lecture on the numerous failed communist settlements in Rhode Island and other American colonies in early 18th century. It seemed that after the first year there was not enough food and other supplies and nobody wanted to work to generate them.
As is the case Americans tried it first ( 200 years before Lenin ) and found it not to work and abandoned it.
To: AdmSmith
Ouch, now I have a flash back headache thanks...
Some of the stuff on nano technology is staggering.
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