Getting better math scores will pay off with more money later in life.
At least that appears to be the conclusion of a 2024 study from the Urban Institute, as reported by The 74, “a nonprofit news organization covering America’s education system from early childhood through college and career”.
An opinion editor at the Post says “The trouble with schools is too much math”.
He’s both right and wrong.
Two years ago, when it became clear that the pandemic was going to cause major disruptions to schools, I started reading tweets, posts, and articles about how this might lead to major changes to the education system. Some were by people I actually respect.
However, I was very skeptical that anything, even a world-wide public health emergency, would substantially alter the way we do schooling in this country. There is just too much institutional inertia and the fervent desire on the part of just about everyone to get back to “normal” was too loud.
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” — Abraham Maslow
When it comes to Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews, that hammer is the Advanced Placement program.
Circling back to one of the non-COVID related problems from this fall in the overly-large school district.
After just about everyone rejected the superintendent’s lottery idea to improve the racial makeup of the Jefferson HS student population, the school board approved a “‘holistic review’ admissions system” for the school.