Sara Rimer of The Times wrote an article last week that gave us a startling glimpse of just how mindless and self-destructive the U.S. is becoming.
Consider the lead paragraph:
“The United States is failing to develop the math skills of both girls and boys, especially among those who could excel at the highest levels, a new study asserts, and girls who do succeed in the field are almost all immigrants or the daughters of immigrants from countries where mathematics is more highly valued.”
The idea that the U.S. won’t even properly develop the skills of young people who could perform at the highest intellectual levels is breathtaking — breathtakingly stupid, that is.
The authors of the study, published in Notices of the American Mathematical Society, concluded that American culture does not value talent in math very highly. I suppose we’re busy with other things, like text-messaging while jay-walking. The math thing is seen as something for Asians and nerds.
Related: Math Forum.
In case folks aren’t aware, I am the lead author of the study being referred to in the opening paragraphs of this op-ed. The question we should be asking Nerad is, Will the MMSD be among the “breathtakingly stupid” school districts that fail to “properly develop the skills of young people who could perform at the highest intellectual levels”?
Thank you, Janet, for your tireless efforts on behalf of all children in this district, but most especially for gifted kids. I am in awe of your refusal to be ignored by this district, how you’ve persevered even after your own two talented sons have graduated. Board meeting after board meeting, you continue to insist they address these issues.
Now, it turns out, you’re one of the country’s experts on the subject–glad you’re getting this much deserved recognition, but am also hoping maybe the BOE and the new superintendent will at long last listen to you.
Please don’t worry. Math Recovery, soon to be instituted, will raise achievement levels to where they should be. This will be fed to the lowest 15 percent performers, ala RR. Balanced Math will follow shortly thereafter be fed to the rest in a comprehensive redo of the entire math curriculum.
BTW, my district brought in RR 9-10 years ago and Balanced Literacy (Literacy Collaborative), 8 years ago. 3rd grade state reading scores are in a three year decline and 20-25 percent of 10th graders are minimal or basic on the state math and reading tests.
From my perspective on education and U.S. infrastructure and mindless talking heads, Bob Herbert is an optimist!