Go, Economy!

[Bojack]

Kids get a hell of a lot more math in k-12 than finance amongst other things. The sad thing is how much valuable information that could be taught. Every high schooler should know basic life shit like how to change a tire or set up a bank account or buy a car and not get fucked by the interest. Some of these things wouldn't even take that much time. Of course nothing will change until people are no longer terrified to NOT go onto college even if it's not the best course for a particular person.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

We hired a new kid a few months ago. Hes 24. I had to show him how to write out a check so that he could take in orders that were sent COD.

[Yoshi]

Kids get a hell of a lot more math in k-12 than finance amongst other things. The sad thing is how much valuable information that could be taught. Every high schooler should know basic life shit like how to change a tire or set up a bank account or buy a car and not get fucked by the interest. Some of these things wouldn't even take that much time. Of course nothing will change until people are no longer terrified to NOT go onto college even if it's not the best course for a particular person.

Yeah, I mixed two ideas. Some basics are not taught at all. Math is just taught very poorly, typically without any practical application.

[Fe 26]

For what it is worth, schools used to only teach basic every day applied math. Like basic finance, working with measurements for building and food.

They switched over to what we have now because that wasn't preparing kids for higher level math and science in college. High school kid's were not being exposed to higher level algebra, trig, pre or full calculus.

They switched over to what we have now in an effort to combat that. If you want to know more about it, google "new math. A lot of old people bitched about it at the time and that became the slang for the movement.


btw, how does a 24 not know how to write a check? I had to learn that in HS to prepare for some "function literacy" or whatever test. I think I always just called it the "can you pay your taxes and go to work" test because that was mostly what the questions related to. I think it was military related too.

[Yoshi]

I'm not saying not to teach "higher" math in high school. But how all math is taught it terrible. When I took AP Calculus in high school, it was all formula memorization. Had I not taken AP Physics as well, I wouldn't have known a single real life application until college. That's what I'm talking about.

[Fe 26]

Yeah, I mixed two ideas. Some basics are not taught at all. Math is just taught very poorly, typically without any practical application.

This is done because teachers don't like discussing and grading word problems.

Of the few I had in school, I remember the teacher almost always skipping them. They are a lot more difficult to grade than a simple "find this" problem.

[Joust Williams]

All I learned was "pump water out of a container" and "measure the volume of this real life object with 2-axis radial symmetry by breaking the curve into functions".

[Fe 26]

I'm not saying not to teach "higher" math in high school. But how all math is taught it terrible. When I took AP Calculus in high school, it was all formula memorization. Had I not taken AP Physics as well, I wouldn't have known a single real life application until college. That's what I'm talking about.

This is a general problem with modern academia. And IMO it comes down to money. It is cheaper to break math out of application and run all your students through one math class, than to have separate math classes with applications for each group of students with a focus on their education path.

I share the same gripe. It may be the cheapest way to teach but it is also the worst. Studies have shown that people learn in packets. That is why we learn phone numbers in a packet of 3 and 4 digits and not one large 7 digit. Students would most likely learn math better if it was taught with a relationship to something else.

[Bojack]

Students would most likely learn math better if it was taught with a relationship to something else.

Also of note is that this idea would lend to a more interesting curriculum. HS for me was so damn dull that I didn't care and skated by. I regret the decision(s) but I was a dopey ass teenager and didn't listen to parents/officials. I know this is the case with millions of kids. But if you can make learning entertaining then kids would learn any of the subjects much more deeply and actually want to expand the knowledge rather than pass the test and then GTFO, if they care to pass the test at all.

Basically, most kids aren't lazy per se. It's that they just don't care. It's a problem of motivation.

[Six]

Btw,

Schools will work if we:

Lower student/teacher ratios (10/1 or less).
Train and keep highly qualified teachers (with a paycheck).
Dissolve unions and make teaching a "right to work" field.
Pay administrators 50% less and hold them as accountable as teachers.
Punish fraud and cronyism in the education system as high treason.
Return to a "tracking" or "job readiness" system where the future janitors can learn applicable skills rather than failing at Pre-Cal.

BUT, this would cost billions. And no one wants to pay for decent education. So the rich get it while the poor get it itb. Widening income gap. Repeat.

EDIT: Oh oh oh and dissolve all school boards.