Higher math is not really needed by most folks.
If you can handle basic arithmetic and really basic algebra..
i.e. long division, percentages and simple linear equations it’s all good. (514/3.127) (12% of 32 =?) (5x -7 = 105) and so on...in a 4 year HS curriculum these simple math skills can be learned by nearly anyone...
But there should always be higher-level math courses avail for those who like math or those who plan on going into a tech field..
algebra2
geometry
trigonometry
calculus 1
43 % of the residents of Detroit and New Orleans cannot even read or write.
Higher math, ha.
Innocent children are being denied a bright future because of DEMOCRATS.
No, it's not. If we were still willing to start tracking about fourth grade, most of the problem would disappear. We went off the rails when the "everybody needs to go to college" thing got loose, and when the race police with pigment meters decided that every classroom had to look like every other classroom.
Geometry is not “higher math” !
In fact its pretty basic.
Its important because for many it will probably be the only time in their lives where they have to think logically, precisely, avoid irrelevancies & present reasons for their thinking. Perhaps most important of all experience that their feelings about getting to the result the does not matter !
Nothing you listed is actually “higher math” except perhaps Calculus. All is within the reach of a high school student if they apply themselves even Calculus. I admit that math is poorly taught by even more poorly prepared teachers at the K12 level. Inadequately prepared math teachers is something we’ve tolerated for years but shouldn’t have ! However students and parents have a deep responsibility in this too. Learning math takes work, effort, drill, drill, drill and more drill ! Very repetitive so boring ! Also repetition i.e, drill is out of favor with the educrats. For some reason we are fine with repetitive drill in sports. Kids, parents, etc. and I say this as someone who played HS sports have no problem with those sports drills. At least have part of that acceptance thats for sports drill be applied to K12 math. (All it would take is a small bit of acceptance !) Maybe they won’t make the best grades, maybe they’ll just pass or struggle and get a “C”. Few can be a college or pro athlete and we’re fine with that, even fewer can be John Nash we need to be fine with that too. The “struggle” is educational in itself as much as for character as for math knowledge. Actually more so !
Continued dumbing down curriculum and looking for Barbie-like “Math is hard !” excuses to do it needs to stop. Stop in all subjects not just math. The truth is math might be hard but life is harder particularly if you always choose the easy “not hard” path !