“Woke” academics have taken to attacking almost everything that’s traditional in our culture. Math and science are denounced for their “whiteness,” and Shakespeare has to be replaced by writers from “marginalized groups.” Now, it’s music that is on the chopping block. As reported in The Post Millennial, “woke” professors at Oxford University are advocating a … Continue reading “Higher Education Takes Aim at ‘Colonialist’ Music”
When it comes to math performance, the United States has a pitiful record. Each year, about 1 million students enroll in college algebra and about 50 percent of those students fail to earn a “C” or better. And according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. considerably underperforms in high school … Continue reading “Do the Math…or Not”
Following a growing trend in education called critical mathematics, the Seattle Public School system recently released a framework incorporating ethnic studies into their K-12 mathematics curriculum. It has a noble objective: To reduce the disparity in mathematics achievement between white students and students of color by teaching how different cultures have developed and employed mathematics … Continue reading “Mathematics as a Liberator”
Most colleges and universities have a math requirement. Students must successfully complete a certain number of math courses (usually just one) to graduate. At many institutions, the requirement is met by passing college algebra (CA). This course studies properties of functions and their graphs with an emphasis on the algebraic and graphical techniques that are … Continue reading “A Meaningful Math Requirement: College Algebra or Something Else?”
Conventional wisdom has it that America desperately needs more STEM graduates, but “it just ain’t so.”