re: More evidence that math is x-ist: Algebra is a "civil rights issue"

Public speaking terrified me and I sucked so bad at it. But I spent many awkward, nerve racking moments in a goddamned public speaking club to improve. Two years later, I don't even use notes in front of a group or say "uh".

Almost anyone can pass algebra with just a little effort, maybe a medium amount.

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Public speaking terrified me and I sucked so bad at it.

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That was the only college course I dreaded. Squeaked by with a B and was glad to escape relatively unscathed.

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The market is flooded with useless 4 year degrees

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amen to that -

There should be NO student loans to pursue those worthless course of 'study.'

Certainly there should be no move to forgive their debt.

worthless as tits on a boar hog.

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I'm not sure I follow your scenario, I'm interpreting it as this:

1. Item is rung up.
2. Customer pays for item.
3. Customer is owed $4.03 in return.
4. Before it is returned, customer gives cashier and extra dollar.

Or is this way off, and the scenario is completely different?

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I wasn't paying attention or I would have done it before he rang me up, but I saw I was owed $4.03 back, figured he needed the ones more than me, so I gave him another $1 so he could give me $5.03. I handed him the $1 as he was going for the ones. I neglected to say "Here,you can give me a $5 and keep the ones because you need them more."

He messed it up, didn't say anything because I figured I did it to him sort of, but I felt bad for him because he doesn't know how much he doesn't know. People let machines do everything for them without ever exercising their brain.

There is a real bifurcation in the population. If you want to do anything that requires brainpower there are always a lot of capable people interested to compete with you, but on the other hand there seem to be massive numbers of people who are just there.

Of course,ignorance is bliss and if you can know enough to get by and not have ignorance bother you then we are going to be the same amount of dead in a hundred years anyway so I guess it doesn't matter.

guy not too much past high school age, great schools in the area, I dunno

Having worked in manufacturing for 35 years I believe a minimum college math sequence for Associate and Bachelor of Science degrees is:

o College Algebra,

o Business Calculus and

o Statistics.

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This idiot seems to think that if you take away one of those courses that they value of the particular educational achievement will remain the same

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For the sake of discussion...

For a community college graduates entry level jobs-- how often is algebra a key component vs maybe replacing it with something else?

Of course that's a ridiculously over generalized statement but it's not a bad touch point in curriculum discussions from time to time. If it's a benchmark that is keeping people out without adding a lot of value maybe it's worth looking at. That said, algebra doesn't seem a terrible skill to include but I'm not 100% on how the community college path normally slots into jobs

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Fix the public education system

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Oh, is that all we have to do?

Great, we'll get right on that, just after we bring about world peace.

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For a community college graduates entry level jobs-- how often is algebra a key component vs maybe replacing it with something else?

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A course in logic might be a suitable replacement but if taught at the college level the failure rate could be just as high as that of Algebra.

Sounds like the same old same old: 'what does this math have to do with every day life if I'miss not a mathematician or teacher?'

Well, I say if you can't hack (pass) college algebra up to trig, you shouldn'the get a degree - even from a CC...

Regarding college-level calc or stats, let's admit there can be some differences in sections designed for the general population and those designed as engineering 'gate class' requirements...