NationStates Jolt Archive

This is insane. http://www2.townonline.com/newton/opinion/view.bg?articleid=161257


[snip]
Between 1999 and 2001, under the direction of Superintendent Young and Assistant Superintendent Wyatt, the math curriculum was redesigned to emphasize "Newton's commitment to active anti-racist education" for the elementary and middle schools. This meant that no longer were division, multiplication, fractions and decimals the first priority for teaching math. For that matter, the teaching of math was no longer the first priority for math teachers, as indicated by the new curriculum guidelines, called benchmarks, which function as the primary instructional guide for teaching math in the Newton Public Schools.
In 2001 Mr. Young, Mrs. Wyatt and an assortment of other well-paid school administrators, defined the new number-one priority for teaching mathematics, as documented in the curriculum benchmarks, "Respect for Human Differences - students will live out the system wide core of 'Respect for Human Differences' by demonstrating anti-racist/anti-bias behaviors." It continues, "Students will: Consistently analyze their experiences and the curriculum for bias and discrimination; Take effective anti-bias action when bias or discrimination is identified; Work with people of different backgrounds and tell how the experience affected them; Demonstrate how their membership in different groups has advantages and disadvantages that affect how they see the world and the way they are perceived by others..." It goes on and on.
These are the most important priorities that the school department has determined for teaching math from grade one through eight, as documented in the Newton Public Schools Benchmarks.
Nowhere among the first priorities for the math curriculum guidelines is the actual teaching of math. That's a distant second. To Superintendent Young and his School Committee, mathematical problem-solving is of secondary importance to anti-racist/anti-bias math.

Summary: Massachusetts school district shifts focus of math classes from actual math (+,-,*,/ etc.) to "anti-racism".

This is lunacy. HOW THE BLOODY HELL CAN MATHEMATICS BE BIASED?

Mathmatics isn't biased, it is the only pure system in the universe. However, math history often is. The mathmatical contributions of Europeans are often emphasized over the mathmatical contributions of other cultures.

So, the important thing is keep math about math and not who discovered what. Divide, multiply, add, subtract, math is the puret expression of universal equality known to man. It is also the purest expression of sex and violence known to man, but people tend to overlook how bloody and erotic hard math really is.

This is insane. http://www2.townonline.com/newton/opinion/view.bg?articleid=161257



Summary: Massachusetts school district shifts focus of math classes from actual math (+,-,*,/ etc.) to "anti-racism".

This is lunacy. HOW THE BLOODY HELL CAN MATHEMATICS BE BIASED?

I wonder who the blame is going to be layed on when these kids aren't able to function in society because numbers are beyond them?

Next those damn fractions will be wanting their own schools.

I'n my school board we can no longer call dice "dice" because dice apparently has gambling contitations and that offends some religious groups. We now have "number cubes" instead, and when you same "number cubes" the kids have no idea what you are talking about.

I wonder who the blame is going to be layed on when these kids aren't able to function in society because numbers are beyond them?
This is one situation where "the system" is actually at fault...

My old high schools mathbooks made side comments on where the discoveries came from, in little boxes off to the side, typically by naming the founder of the school and what country they were from, i.e. The Pythagorean Theorem: Pythagoras, Greece

My old high schools mathbooks made side comments on where the discoveries came from, in little boxes off to the side, typically by naming the founder of the school and what country they were from, i.e. The Pythagorean Theorem: Pythagoras, Greece
And the books were outdated! ^_^ *giggle* but we learned math!

I wonder who the blame is going to be layed on when these kids aren't able to function in society because numbers are beyond them?

It'll be "the man's" fault when the kids turn to drugs and gang violence.

I really don't know what to say. I am at a lost for words.

Racism happens in basic math instruction?@?@?

Well for once it's not California! ;)

Sounds more like material for Social Studies class to me. God damn hippies!

Wow...if only Plato were here to see this...

Sounds more like material for Social Studies class to me. God damn hippies!
Yeah! Damn hippies!

It makes no sense whatsoever.

*aside to Gnostikos* Why plato, not pythagoras?

Words nearly fail me...What in the hell are those numbskulls thinking? Math is math....not social issues!

My old high schools mathbooks made side comments on where the discoveries came from, in little boxes off to the side, typically by naming the founder of the school and what country they were from, i.e. The Pythagorean Theorem: Pythagoras, Greece
Of course, the great part is that the people who "discovered" the Pythagorean Theorem were the Egyptians.

Of course, the great part is that the people who "discovered" the Pythagorean Theorem were the Egyptians.

While we're at it, "Arabic" numerals actually came from India.

Sorry, but nearly everything beyond basic algebra and geometry came from Europe. Get used to it. It works, and that's the important part, not who discovered it. If they want to teach tolerance, then they should try social studies. Besides, if you eliminate the regular amth curriculum, I wonder how many of the kids will actually be able to fugure out the percents of the math from each country so that they can keep from getting to biased towards one.

I wonder who the blame is going to be layed on when these kids aren't able to function in society because numbers are beyond them?

Just means our kids will do better.

*aside to Gnostikos* Why plato, not pythagoras?
Because Plato believed that math was perfection, and that, indeed, everything we see is but a shadow of its mathematical perfect equivalent. The Allegory of the Cave might be a better explanation if you're interested, as well as some others that elude me at the moment. If he saw that people were bringing things such as racism into math, he would probably go into a clinical depression.

I'n my school board we can no longer call dice "dice" because dice apparently has gambling contitations and that offends some religious groups. We now have "number cubes" instead, and when you same "number cubes" the kids have no idea what you are talking about.

Using that logic, all mathematics should be banned. We all know numbers lead to gambling. :rolleyes:

Wow. I think this might even beat nailgun-head-man for 'Weirdest Thing I've Heard Today." And it's only 10:26. How ludicrous...it's important for education not to be racist, obviously, but math would be the one subject I would think would be completely immune from it just by its very nature. I mean it's math fer cryin' out loud.

People are weird.

Great. Maths is maths. There's no need AT ALL to bring this into maths. This is stupid... Sorry, it's just stupid.

This is insane. http://www2.townonline.com/newton/opinion/view.bg?articleid=161257



Summary: Massachusetts school district shifts focus of math classes from actual math (+,-,*,/ etc.) to "anti-racism".

This is lunacy. HOW THE BLOODY HELL CAN MATHEMATICS BE BIASED?

I'm utterly stunned by this. That does it! Now I'm really convinced western civilization has gone to the crapper!

What the hell is next....

I've had enough too.

What the hell is next....
you don't want to know, let me assure you...

but i might just say...

BLOODY SYSTEM<!!!8y642318iklcjtrfksavchdfjnrhxcfiuvuw tdm

I mean it's math fer cryin' out loud.

No it isn't.
It's maths, there's an "s" on the end.

The sooner you colonists start to speak properly the better.
:mp5:

No it isn't.
It's maths, there's an "s" on the end.

The sooner you colonists start to speak properly the better.
:mp5:

Damn straight. Bah lots of :fluffle: really! The differences in spelling keep us on our toes...you just can't accuse someone of bad spelling anymore in a vain attempt to win a losing argument...it's breeding paranoia...and I love it!

No it isn't.
It's maths, there's an "s" on the end.

The sooner you colonists start to speak properly the better.
:mp5:

Its because we don't cheat at scrabble. For the same reason we spell "through" "thru".

Because Plato believed that math was perfection, and that, indeed, everything we see is but a shadow of its mathematical perfect equivalent. The Allegory of the Cave might be a better explanation if you're interested, as well as some others that elude me at the moment. If he saw that people were bringing things such as racism into math, he would probably go into a clinical depression.

No, not really - it was the Cult of Pythagoreas that saw maths as perfection, and in fact the only real existence, for Plato there were other things beyond maths that had real existence - non-mathematical forms - thus there was not only an ideal form of triangle, there was also an ideal form of man or of love.

I'n my school board we can no longer call dice "dice" because dice apparently has gambling contitations and that offends some religious groups. We now have "number cubes" instead, and when you same "number cubes" the kids have no idea what you are talking about.

Well, statistics has the same conotatins doesn't it? It's all about more than one thing having the chance to happen.

As far as the article itself goes. Never give too much credence to an internet article when the author of it can be reached on hotmail.

No, not really - it was the Cult of Pythagoreas that saw maths as perfection, and in fact the only real existence, for Plato there were other things beyond maths that had real existence - non-mathematical forms - thus there was not only an ideal form of triangle, there was also an ideal form of man or of love.

I wasn't sure I agreed with you there right up until the last few words, when remembered. I'm currently working my way through the Republic now, see. anyways. Yeah, Plato did see non-mathematical things with real existence, but he did have a strong mathematical bias. When, for example, talking about stars, he describes their orbits (I'm assuming across the sky and not their "true" orbits) as the true beauty behind the star. The mathematical aspect of the star was primary to the beauty of the star itself. Although earlier he does admit that the pure component, such as beauty, was perfection, without necessarily being applied in any sort of context. At least, that's what I got from that part. He did spend a lot of time with Pythagoreans though, and so was no doubt influenced by them to some lesser or greater extent.




On topic, however... This is just stupid. Another fine product from the nonsense factory. (sorry, I love that name. I had to quote it. I bet I misquoted it too.)

Yeah, Plato did see non-mathematical things with real existence, but he did have a strong mathematical bias.

Not, however things in the mundane world as we commonly experience it - it is after all only shadows of the ideal forms which are the only things to have true existence.

The mathematical aspect of the star was primary to the beauty of the star itself. Although earlier he does admit that the pure component, such as beauty, was perfection, without necessarily being applied in any sort of context. At least, that's what I got from that part. He did spend a lot of time with Pythagoreans though, and so was no doubt influenced by them to some lesser or greater extent.

It should be borne in mind, however, that for Plato there was one central form which had greater importance than the others - the form of the true, the beautiful, the just. Certainly the mathematical forms are related to this, but do not themselves comprise its totality.

Mathmatics isn't biased, it is the only pure system in the universe. However, math history often is. The mathmatical contributions of Europeans are often emphasized over the mathmatical contributions of other cultures.


I hear stuff like that and just have to shake my head. Most of the people who say these things really don't know what goes on in math class. All through high school and college (I have an engineering degree) there was a negligable amount of "math history" tought. Other then the names of one or two theorems in Geometry, I really can't think of any time spent on emphasizing the contributions of Europeans over other cultures.

What do you really expect? Maybe they should teach everyone to use an Abacus just to get some diversity in? Frankly, math is about the numbers and any time spent on "math history" to anyone other than a college math student specifically studying that is a waste of time.

I'n my school board we can no longer call dice "dice" because dice apparently has gambling contitations and that offends some religious groups. We now have "number cubes" instead, and when you same "number cubes" the kids have no idea what you are talking about.

I call dice, dice (or die, for singular), and to hell with what anyone else thinks. Hopefully that barmy law of yours will get struck down when someone wakes up and realises how much of an idiot whoever put it there is.

Dice are dice, and have been for centuries. What's the point of calling a die a number cube? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet - so let's stick to the original, huh?
And high school maths - I'm sorry to say that the history of maths, while fascinating for me, has a place entirely separate from actual maths. It's great to know that the number 0 is an Arab invention, great to know that during the Dark Ages the centre of scientific learning was in the Byzantine Empire, but I see no reason why students should score marks in maths exams for being able to say where Hypatia, Averrois, Ramanjuan, etc. came from. Isn't maths about the mathematics and history about the people?

I believe that the main reason for this policy is the failure of minorities to close the gap in math proficiency.

Rather than address the real problem, it looks like they have decided to not teach math, but teach something else.

This will make everyone in the district perform poorly on standardized tests, which will make the gap close.

If you can't make your favorite group appear smarter, then make everyone else look just as stupid.

The second thread I have said this in today: Crazy American system.

Nothing like that would happen here. Nobody cares about racism or maths. Ah. In what a blissfully ignorant culture I partake.

So, the important thing is keep math about math and not who discovered what. Divide, multiply, add, subtract, math is the puret expression of universal equality known to man. It is also the purest expression of sex and violence known to man, but people tend to overlook how bloody and erotic hard math really is.

Wow, bloody and erotic? What math books did you get to study?

This is insane. http://www2.townonline.com/newton/opinion/view.bg?articleid=161257



Summary: Massachusetts school district shifts focus of math classes from actual math (+,-,*,/ etc.) to "anti-racism".

This is lunacy. HOW THE BLOODY HELL CAN MATHEMATICS BE BIASED?

Oh No. Another PhD in education has to make their mark on the system.

The sad thing is that I do not find this shocking. This is merely the natural progression of Political Correctness - like a wild fire. It spreads to everything. From everyday speech to history now to math. Truth, good or bad, has taken a back seat to a need to spare people's feelings.

No it isn't.
It's maths, there's an "s" on the end.

The sooner you colonists start to speak properly the better.
:mp5:

Hehe...now now, you lot have changed me over to 'colour' and honour' and even occasionally 'tyre', and I say 'lift' and 'pavement' and 'crisps' and all sorts now but I'm keeping my 'math', sorry! :p I know they're both just abbreviations of mathematics but maths still sounds out of place to my American ears.