This is an interesting read, but the author is also a political science professor. If this article had been by a mathematics educator, it might be a bit more p

This is an interesting read, but the author is also a political science professor. If this article had been by a mathematics educator, it might be a bit more persuasive. I'd argue that algebra is fundamental - the excerpts taken involve the quadratic equation and other supposedly tedious tasks, while ignoring that these are foundations for higher level problem solving. In almost any field, somebody will ask at some point "how many X do I need for Y" - and it's usually not that clear. I would almost posit that the author is trolling the NY Times, but today that's probably not the case. While math is hard for some students, it's an essential part of education for just about anybody that hopes to be a mildly functional member of society.