Richard Cohen wrote this column week before last. It took quite a hit in blogland, but I took a pass. I bring it up here, because of the math quiz (next item).
I am haunted by Gabriela Ocampo. Last year, she dropped out of the 12th grade at Birmingham High School in Los Angeles after failing algebra six times in six semesters, trying it a seventh time and finally just despairing over ever getting it. So, according to the Los Angeles Times, she “gathered her textbooks, dropped them at the campus book room and, without telling a soul, vanished from Birmingham High School.”
Gabriela, this is Richard: There’s life after algebra.
The key point Cohen goes on to make is: “Here’s the thing, Gabriela: You will never need to know algebra. I have never once used it and never once even rued that I could not use it.”
While NewMexiKen is certainly saddened by the story of Gabriela Ocampo, Richard Cohen makes no sense. I feel fairly certain I have relied upon the reasoning I learned in Algebra most days of my life. Further, I doubt I could code this blog without the patterns algebra teaches.
But more importantly, what kind of school (what kind of society) lets a kid flunk a class six times? Learn more here. The incomparable Daily Howler addresses the Gabriela issue as well, in a three part series starting with A brilliant report in the L. A. Times begins with a child left behind