Grown man can't pass Algebra II test

[thibodeaux]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs....og.html

“I won’t beat around the bush,” he wrote in an email. “The math section had 60 questions. I knew the answers to none of them, but managed to guess ten out of the 60 correctly. On the reading test, I got 62% . In our system, that’s a “D”, and would get me a mandatory assignment to a double block of reading instruction.

He continued, “It seems to me something is seriously wrong. I have a bachelor of science degree, two masters degrees, and 15 credit hours toward a doctorate.

[thibodeaux]

Oh for crying out loud:

There you have it. A concise summary of what’s wrong with present corporately driven education change: Decisions are being made by individuals who lack perspective and aren’t really accountable.

Those decisions are shaped not by knowledge or understanding of educating, but by ideology, politics, hubris, greed, ignorance, the conventional wisdom, and various combinations thereof. And then they’re sold to the public by the rich and powerful.

WTF is she even talking about?

[GORDON]

When I am asked by a young person whether or not higher math is important in the IT industry, my answer is 'sometimes,' but more importantly, learning math teaches one how to think logically. I never assume someone knows how to think logically just because they have attended college.

Also it is funny that the author says that something is wrong with the system when a person with a master's degree can't passa 10th grade math test, but he never assumes the problem is that a man has attained a
aster's degree without the ability to pass the test. No, the problem must be the test.

[TPRJones]

He continued, “It seems to me something is seriously wrong. I have a bachelor of science degree, two masters degrees, and 15 credit hours toward a doctorate.

My experience has been that - almost without exception - multiple advanced degrees in anything besides Physics, Engineering, or similar fields is a strong indicator of being a retarded idiot. Most especially if any of those advanced degrees are in Education. I would presume correlation instead of causation, but maybe someone should do a study.

Regardless, considering he works in education it's likely that those credentials he quoted are bullshit, and he probably failed the test because he's part of the problem with the system.



Edited By TPRJones on 1323181009

[thibodeaux]

Regardless, considering he works in education it's likely that those credentials he quoted are bullshit, and he probably failed the test because he's part of the problem with the system.

That was also my assumption. I mean, to be perfectly clear: of course most people don't remember how to do advanced algebra, especially 20 years or so down the road having never used it since school, and there's nothing wrong with that (nor even anything wrong with never having learned it to begin with).

What I find hilarious, like you two, is the protestation that "well, I have a bachelor of science and two masters degrees and I can't do it!"

Yeah right. Masters in WHAT?

[thibodeaux]

By the way: it seems to be the assumption nowadays that since students who pass Algebra II tend to do better in college, then ALL students should take and pass Algebra II. There's probably no better example of the education snake oil that everybody is swilling these days. It's correlation, not causation, fools! Students who pass Algebra II are SMARTER than the ones who don't (on average, ok? Don't tell me about some kid who was a genius but goofed off, or whatever).

But here's the dirty little secret, which is at the root of ALL of America's education problems: if you group students by their genetics, certain groups don't pass Algebra II in the same percentages as other groups (again: ON AVERAGE). And this "gap," so to speak, is actually UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

But it doesn't matter what snake oil we prescribe, this difference persists and will continue to persist. The reason for this is too terrible to discuss, so it doesn't get discussed. And so we keep buying snake oil.



Edited By thibodeaux on 1323181757

[thibodeaux]

http://joelgrus.com/2011/12/07/doubling-the-compost-box/

You probably didn’t see the follow-up article outing the test failer as someone with a Bachelor’s in Education (which he describes as a “Bachelor of Science”, making it sound like he has a science degree, which he doesn’t), a Master’s in Education, and a Master’s in Educational Psychology.

Also with sample questions.

[GORDON]

I was actually impressed by the BS, as that aint bullshit.

But then I just learned that he was full of shit and has a bullshit degree, and now I am not surprised at all he can't do math.

I bet he could ace a basket weaving test.

[TheCatt]

I bet he can talk for a long time.