TOP OF MIND: Do you believe that NM high school students are wasting time learning advanced math?

Top of Mind is a weekly question about an issue affecting New Mexicans.

LAST WEEK’S QUESTION

Do you believe that NM’s high school students are wasting time learning advanced math because it’s unlikely they’ll use it in their lifetimes?

“Every year we dumb down our curriculum to the detriment of our children and our country. When do we say enough? I equate learning math to learning table manners. You don’t have to use them, but you’ll have the skills when you need them.”

— Kathleen Weston, Albuquerque

“Absolutely no. Just to mention some of the benefits of advanced math: critical thinking, college preparation, career opportunities, everyday life, cognitive development, and technological advancement. Math makes people think before acting, therefore, people make informed decisions. This opinion comes from a college professor teaching math for more than 50 years.”

— Patricio Rojas, Albuquerque

“I don’t know about waste of time with advanced math, but what should be dropped is English. People on social media can’t write, can’t spell, can’t communicate without so many grammatical errors and take no pride in writing correctly. Waste of class time, apparently.”

— Judy Crane, Tijeras

“No. Advanced math is certainly better than CRT or gender identity. Also, advanced math might actually strain some students’ minds and teach them how to think.”

— David Woodward, Albuquerque

“The small percent of students that learn advanced math in high school are certainly not wasting their time. Such students are highly motivated, enjoy math and will likely use this math later for college and career. The real question is what math courses should be high school graduation requirements in today’s world. I would argue for the time-honored Algebra 1 and geometry, along with financial literacy and statistics.”

— Mark Piccione, retired math and science teacher, Albuquerque

“Everyone is excellent at something, but not everyone has the thought processes required for advanced math, especially for content that may be forgotten in a few years because there is little relation to daily life. Philosophy is a better way to learn different types of reasoning without solving complex problems.”

— Rebecca Campbell, Edgewood

“Every high school should offer Algebra 2 and higher math. However, it should not be required for every student. Statistics/data science is more relevant to the everyday life and work of most New Mexicans and should be offered as an alternative option to Algebra 2, as part of a well-rounded curriculum.”

— Mandi Torrez, Education Reform Director, Think New Mexico Rio Rancho