throwaway23451

I’d say this is a problem of compounding. The odds of any kid going on to get a PhD in math (or any subject) is vanishingly small, and is impacted by outcomes at every level of education preceding grad school. Saying that math is racist because there are few black phds in the subject neglects the law of large numbers. Few secondary teachers really understand math at a deep enough level to be inspirational… If kids from disadvantaged backgrounds are not shown how beautiful and useful math can be, what motivation would we expect there to be that could carry them far enough in the subject to get a phd in it?

It’s terrible that kids have to face challenges like hunger and poverty. I believe in universal free lunch, and find it abhorrent the way this basic human rights issue has been politicized. I find it abhorrent that there are disparities in access to quality education. None of that changes the fact that people need skills to be employable, get accepted to a legitimate college, etc. Making school easy with squishy standards is not doing anyone a kindness. It’s preparing people for a life of mediocrity.

I think that’s a great idea. I’m not necessarily advocating for a strict grading scale, just an objective yardstick for gauging progress towards achieving proficiency in critical subjects like math, language arts, etc.

Great point. It brings to mind an aphorism from Charlie Munger: “Show me the incentive, and I’ll show you the outcome”

That’s unfortunate. Twenty years ago I attended high school in a working class suburb. I was fortunate to get selected into a gifted program and had teachers who challenged me to work hard and overcome my surrounding. Changed my life and inspired a career as a data scientist and entrepreneur. I hope the younger generation can have the benefit of adults who care enough about them to challenge them to succeed, because the real world does not grade on the curve.

I’m sure every generation feels like the next is going to turn the world to hell… but what the hell? I find it absolutely bonkers that gifted classes, math, homework and objective performance assessments are suddenly under fire as instruments perpetuating inequality. Does our education system leave much to be desired? Absolutely! Let’s pay teachers more and improve access to quality education for all students, not cognitively handicap the next generation.