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Thing is, mechanics and air conditioning people will use math more than many college grads. Look at most of the liberal arts programs. Art, English Lit or feminist studies majors don't need even 9th grade HS math to make fries. At least one of our posters has stated repeatedly that even 4 year universities don't require any math standards for liberal arts majors.
By the same standard though-why do we force people taking "trades" or STEM courses to take classes like sociology, literature or art appreciation?
I think we all know the answer to that... STEM students can competently complete college liberal arts courses. Liberal Arts students cannot competently complete college math courses, not even algebra.
Send them to trade school.we need mechanics and air conditioning people too. Not everyone is college material. The very idea that everyone needs to go to college is laughable..
Sure, you can do the low paying grunt work like being a helper. But you can't be a full on master electrician, HVAC tech, or a machinist without a working knowledge of algebra and even trig.
My local CC requires Welding students to take classes in algebra, trig, and even metallurgy. If you can't do simple math you have no chance at anything but a minimum wage job.
Sure, you can do the low paying grunt work like being a helper. But you can't be a full on master electrician, HVAC tech, or a machinist without a working knowledge of algebra and even trig.
You and I, and maybe a few others posting in this thread, know that. But look at how many posting in this thread are completely unaware of that fact.
You and I, and maybe a few others posting in this thread, know that. But look at how many posting in this thread are completely unaware of that fact.
They are most likely people in the white collar world who think the the trades are good for "less academically gifted" people when it is the complete opposite.
I think the colleges are doing what high schools did for decades, which is just push people along to get them through to graduation because the market now demands college educations for even $12 an hour jobs. Credential inflation is a very real thing. In China you have PhD holders driving taxis and working fast food because there are just so many of them and not enough real jobs.
Thing is, mechanics and air conditioning people will use math more than many college grads. Look at most of the liberal arts programs. Art, English Lit or feminist studies majors don't need even 9th grade HS math to make fries. At least one of our posters has stated repeatedly that even 4 year universities don't require any math standards for liberal arts majors.
By the same standard though-why do we force people taking "trades" or STEM courses to take classes like sociology, literature or art appreciation? A total waste of time for those that actually want to better themselves and prepare themselves for careers in adulthood. It's another thing for those that are planning on university as a 4 year party and are just looking for an easy major. It's not like we use Shakespeare in our daily lives.
I didn't say the bold. I said they are not required to take Algebra IN COLLEGE due to the fact that all students in high school are required to take algebra... There is still a general math/quantitative reasoning requirement for liberal arts majors.
Also, I don't think that STEM majors should be forced to take more than 1 composition/English course either, similar to liberal arts majors not being forced to take more than 1 math class.
If it has no bearing on their major and/or career goals, it is unnecessary.
I used to be a writing lab tutor at my college and the majority of the kids who had issues with writing were STEM majors. Our university at that time required 4 semesters of composition. Today they only require 2 semesters for STEM majors and there is nothing wrong with that IMO. Everyone is not talented in all subjects and contrary to what many of you may believe, solving an algebra equation is much easier to a lot of people than writing a 5 paragraph essay. We need both sets of students in our society and no one is better or less intelligent than others.
Do any of you remember the true story portrayed in the movie, "Stand and Deliver" in which something like 20 working class Latino kids passed AP Calculus, thanks to their Bolivian immigrant high school teacher, Jaime Escalante?
If it were worded differently, I wonder if they would understand. This is the equivalent to saying...
State of CA speaking to audience of black people:
"We've decided to drop algebra requirements in Community Colleges because we have come to realize that you people can't do it. It's clear that remedial math while in college, as well as tutors, will not help you people."
Seriously, what is the point of even going to Community College if they aren't going to be able to get a worthwhile degree later on without math? This is setting them up for failure, it's telling them that they are too stupid, it's telling them that the State of CA has absolutely no faith in them at all, and they are just done trying.
How in the hell can anyone look at this and not see the blatant, disgusting racism? HOW?
They didn't say, "We're dropping it because it's' too hard for students coming out of high school" or that it's just too hard for students...no label, no other identifier, just students....they made a POINT of stating "persons of color" (which is just more bs I can't even stand it).
This is not actually helpful to people of color or anyone else.
I tend to agree with you, but it will only be eliminated for people who aren't in the fields of science, technology, engineering or math. Math can be a hindrance to those who have problems understanding it, so if you plan on going into a field that doesn't need algebra then what's the point in taking it.
I also mentioned this earlier in the thread. That this is an American mindset and is something that won't go away so it doesn't bother me, as a black woman like it may other people. I study a lot of American history and know for a fact that the idea that black people have always been thought of in this country as more stupid than whites and others. It is funny to me and has no bearing on my view of myself or black Americans specifically.
Anytime white people in charge of an organization/institution, don't get the results they want from "minorities" they say minorities are stupid. It is the American way and not surprising lol.
One more time:
It is the (Hispanic) Chancellor of the California Community Colleges who is saying blacks and Hispanics CANNOT do it.
Us white guys are saying blacks and Hispanics CAN do it.
It is YOU defending his decision.
It is US criticizing it.
Translated: The evil white people think minorities fully capable while minorities such as yourself have something akin to an inferiority complex. All the while insinuating that we think you inferior.
Good grief. Your stances are bizarre mixes of passive-aggressive behavior, self-hatred, and just plain ole dishonesty.
You must have attended a very elite school. My kids went to one of the best high schools in the state and the teachers had Master's degrees. None of them had PhD's.
A Masters’s is more than sufficient to teach intro, bachelor’s level courses.
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There is no such requirement. And PhDs don't teach HS. You probably mean EdDs. That's a completely different degree, and generally considered to be a joke in every other academic field.
Nope. I meant PhDs.
It’s not a requirement, but PhDs do teach HS. Especially elite private schools and magnet schools.
Besides, anyone with a Master’s can teach undergrad courses.
That’s who teaches a good portion of entry-level college classes anyway.
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