Las Vegas Sun

May 12, 2008

Letter to the Editor:

Daily life doesn’t require much math

Jeannie Jackson, Las Vegas

Wed, Apr 23, 2008 (2:02 a.m.)

Your publication pointing out the failure of students here at passing a math test brought this reader hardly any concern at all. I could never pass algebra, and it’s never hurt anything, other than trying to pass an eighth grade math test.

I just visited the 99 Cent Store this morning and spent a whopping 99 cents for a calculator that does all the math necessary for daily living.

I think what they forgot along with the three R’s (reading, writing, ’rithmetic) was the fourth R, which should be instituted in any educational system — relevancy. Sure, you need to know math to balance a checkbook, but what if our children were allowed to study that which they enjoy and is actually needed for future problem solving?

Discussion: 2 comments so far…

  1. By jeromealancarter
    4/24/08 at 9:40 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    After picking my jaw up from the floor, I felt I needed to respond to Jeannie Jackson's letter of Wed., 4/23. Ms. Jackson unwittingly underscores the essesnce of today's education system failings: As a society we've spent more than a generation throwing inadequate funding and half-baked programs at students, teachers, and administrators, and as a result we have graduates from these programs now raising their own children; these new parents have never developed an interest in self-improvement or a motivation to excel at anything. This lethargy is passed on to their kids, who see no point in striving for more than a rewarding career at Walmart. Ms. Jackson clearly never was instilled with a passion for learning and an understanding that in order for our society and our species to address true "future problem solving", a solid math and science foundation is critically important. The initial reaction to her letter is to burst into laughter, but we should instead view it as a frightening indication of the depth of the problem we face with education programs today.

  2. By Jeannie
    5/4/08 at 5:46 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    After reading Jerome Alan Carter's note, I feel a bit of unnecessary roughness--lethargy?laughable? frightening? Who is Jerome Alan Carter? Has he helped build a youth center? Has he raised 4 kids as a single mom? Has he been married to a rich man who refused to help his wife after hitting one their kids? I was merely pointing out that first of all our kids need to learn independent living skills, learning to treat others the way they wanted to be treated--millions of kids are orphaned because of deatbeat parents--possibly parenting skills would be more useful than algebra.

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