Las Vegas Sun

February 12, 2012

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Letter to the editor:

Schools should teach math for real world

Adele VandeHouten, Henderson

Friday, March 28, 2008 | 2:04 a.m.

Is algebra really necessary?

My father and both of my brothers are engineering graduates. I just didn’t happen to inherit the same aptitude for math. I took one year of algebra in high school and one year of geometry and, as far as I remember, have used neither in the 60 years since.

I also am a college graduate, with a year of postgraduate work. I taught primary grades for more than 20 years, followed by a career in real estate sales.

Wouldn’t courses in practical math be more useful? How many high school students know how to balance a checkbook? How many know how interest adds up on a credit card balance?

Perhaps the Clark County School District needs to rethink this emphasis on abstract math. Maybe then more of our kids will stay on to graduate from high school.

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