Teaching Math Then & Now....

Meanwhile, in reality, math (and all subjects) are MUCH more rigorous today than they were when I was in school in the 70s and 80s. It is so much more difficult to get a high school diploma now than then. Did you know that middle schoolers are now taking algebra? Yep! I never heard of an exponent until I was in high school.

While I don't doubt that there is a whole lot more high level math being taught in schools, there are still many students getting through school and getting their diplomas with very sub-par reading, writing and math skills.

Our application for employment form has some very simple math problems so we can see if an individual has the basics. Many fail these problems miserably, and their hand writing is almost illegible. Yes, these are high school graduates.

We have a lot ... a whole lot of kids graduating High School without the basic reading, writing and math skills. We see them each and every day around here.

My sister is a math professor with a math / chemistry degree and she sees young adults all the time who literally struggle with 2+2= type of stuff.

As far as handwriting ... yeah, mine is horrible. Illegible. Pathetic. I just dont use written word enough so over time it has gone from bad to very very worse.

Know what you mean, Swilk.   Before she retired, my older Sister was Superintendent of New Richmond, Ohio school system.  She said the Students and Teachers now days, could learn a lot from the past, as we were taught in School, back in the 1950's through '60's.  Kids working in a store now days can't even make change, and most all of them have this "blank stare" about them, when discussing any subject with them, like they don't understand anything. VERY STRANGE! 

When I attended College I, much like your Sister, I had to take: English Comp. & Technical Writing, Several hours of Biology courses, Math (algebra & Trig.) + 15 hours of college Chemistry: (General, Qualitative, Quantitative Analysis) to earn my degree in Biology.  My handwriting wasn't that great also, so I typed all my research papers. 

Point very well made.
How can you send a kid through 12 years of school and allow him / her to graduate if they can't even make change?

Kids like that used to "flunk" and have to take a grade over again in elementary school until they could prove basic proficiency at certain things. Do they flunk kids anymore, or is that too damaging to self-esteem?

While in many areas you are correct, and I agree (and I know you are a teacher). A few personal observations:

1) Too much time is spent teaching for ISTEP and similar tests, and not truly education.

2) "No Child Left Behind" has taken away the honor of getting a diploma away, and made it a joke. My BIL turns 23 tomorrow, so he "graduated" ~5 yrs ago. There is no way he should of ever received a diploma. He went to school MAYBE 2 or 3 days a week starting in late middle school. He needed a boot shoved up his @$$, but his Mom was too lazy to do it...he's a smart kid, but LAZY and was never held accountable.

He quit the regular program and went into "mechanical arts" (i.e. - shop) for auto mechanics. I had to help him change his transmission fluid one day, and his cousin and I oversaw him doing something else for his car. He said he learned more in that weekend than his entire year long auto mechanics program...but like I said, he never went to class.

3) While there are different options of types of diplomas that require effort and hard work, the basic diploma has become a joke. I am much harder on my kids and are in advance classes, and I have been impressed with the material they bring home (5th and 7th grades). My 3rd grader isn't as astute as his siblings and hasn't been offered the advanced courses - yet. He is more of a hands on learner and not a book learner.

The current school system comes down to what an individual puts into it - a student can learn A LOT in HS, or they can skate by. My daughter is on course to earn college credits by her junior year.

4) I have to wonder if the education degree programs are appropriate. I have a BS in Geology and my wife has a BS in Elementary Eduction. I had to take 2 semesters (each) of biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus. If I recall correctly, she had to take two science classes at 001 level or higher. Yes, I said 001, not 101. If you aren't familiar with the class numbering system, 001 equates to high school level, and 101 is college freshman level. She took 001 Zoology and G105 Environmental Geology, which was essentially the same thing as the 100 level Environmental Geography course she took for some other requirement. My wife - who the BS in elementary education - tapped out helping our kids with most of their homework (especially math) by about 3rd or 4th grade, and then looks at me and asks how I know/remember all that stuff.

The fact is, not all students belong in the college prep track, but our system forces them all to jump through the same hoop. Most countries that rank "ahead of us" in education start funneling kids into different programs like trades at an early age. Then they test their best and brightest college bound type students only. We don't do that. We test close to 100% of our kids. If you compare apples to apples, America's best and brightest still stack up well against anyone in the world. We need to have better options to prepare students who aren't interested in the college track. They need to start finding their interests and being trained in things at which they will excel. Anything short of that is a disservice and waste of time.

OK so I am a younger person who has fairly recently gotten out of the educational system I can say a number of things about it personally.
I skated by on grades skipped alot of school didn't "apply myself" as much as the straight a kids.. But... I passed all my test with a's generally and scored far above average on most all standardized test and my azvab and college placemant test besides in math I did have two jobs in high school and my senior year I was on the fire department and in the national guard. While going to school sometimes.
I thing the emphasis on higher education and standardized testing has most assuredly ruined the youth as much as the video games (I never could stand them) that usually receive the blame
This whole "if you don't go to college you are nothing in this world" crap has got to go some people are built for college and school some aren't that's why we have skilled trades I get people at work who don't know how to use basic machines or read tape measures
Which way tightens again?
Which mark is the half?
I wish when people struggled with school work there was an alternative to saying you are a failure you'll never make it anywhere in life if you don't know xy-z/3×4=2 because that's not true.
If you lose a game of basketball "anybody who trys gets a trophy"
If you fail a class
"Only people who can pass this test will be winners in life"
Talk about a mixed message
But to the original poster the joke was funny!

Met I don't know you well but if you wrote a book it shows me you have passion for what you do
But There are a number of people who end up being teachers because it was an easier degree than what they originally wanted to be.
I had a handful of engaging teachers who wanted to teach I had others who taught because they couldn't become anything else basically.
Rude and inconvenienced by having to come to work...