Well, even as a math teacher/lover/geek, I do have some pretty serious issues with the way math is taught in high school. Why do we focus so much on algebra anyway? There's a lot of equally simple topics out there that could work just as well for encouraging logical/abstract thinking, that most students would find a bit more interesting.

(The answer, of course, is physical science. Because simple algebra is a necessary component of even the simplest physics or chemistry course. Which just makes the question bigger - why physics and chemistry? Again, a lot of students not so much with the needing at the high school level.)

I'm not sure this makes any sense, but sometimes i have a really hard time answering the "Why do I need to learn this, I'm never going to use it!" questions about my own subject. Because the only honest answer is "that's true, you probably won't, but you need to learn to think logically and abstractly and this is the arbitrary method we've decided on to teach that, because 1 or 2 of your classmates may someday study physics" which probably wouldn't fly too well with the protesting fourteen-year-old.

ETA: Which isn't to say that post isn't stupid. Because it's definitely stupid.

Does this person have any experience at all with art, drama or music? Because I must just be jaded by my huge piles of money.

Jaded by that, and lulled by the total fluffy-puppy-baby-bunny inoffensiveness of the arts.

Well, even as a math teacher/lover/geek, I do have some pretty serious issues with the way math is taught in high school. Why do we focus so much on algebra anyway? There's a lot of equally simple topics out there that could work just as well for encouraging logical/abstract thinking, that most students would find a bit more interesting.

I feel that same way, too. Really, I'd put statistics ahead of trigonometry as something that most students should study, and I'd put logic right at the top of the list. Basic algebra, absolutely, but quadratic equations? Hyperbolas? There's plenty of better math that we could be teaching them.

I'd say that what's usually in Algebra I, plus the basics of geometry, go into the "what everybody ought to know" list. But, if I ruled the world, I'd put way more options into the math curriculum after that.

Because algebra and chemistry are FUN!!

t /has a chem degree

Careers in these areas make huge money and don't go against anyone's morals, the way science does.

Well, I for one am hoping my inoffensive screenplay about Jesus, Vishnu, and Osama bin Laden enjoying a game of strip Dungeons & Dragons, gamemastered by Satan, and eating pork and steak snacks will make buckets of money.

I'm sure you threw in a lot of gay sex too, right Gud? Because we all know that catapults things to the top of the ratings/box office.

IOeducationN: My alumni association has found me! How do they do that?

It wasn't me! Except maybe karmically. Sorry about that jinx, Sparky.

I'm sure you threw in a lot of gay sex too, right Gud?

Of course, I want to make the huge money after all and who would be offended? It's not like I'm going to have them extracting DNA from a T-Rex bone or some other porny thing.

Well, I for one am hoping my inoffensive screenplay about Jesus, Vishnu, and Osama bin Laden enjoying a game of strip Dungeons & Dragons, gamemastered by Satan, and eating pork and steak snacks will make buckets of money.

...I would so totally watch that.

It's probably already a South Park episode.