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PBS News Hour

Thinking about math in terms of literacy — not levels

Algebra is a core subject for U.S. high school students. But should it be? Author Andrew Hacker believes we should reconsider how math is taught: only 5 percent of the American workforce actually uses math beyond arithmetic, though higher-level classes are widely required. But Hacker’s proposal to focus math instruction in a real-world context has drawn criticism from the education community.

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