Now there's an idea. Let's think about this a second. I'd like to develop a curriculum that is, indeed, "Fundamentals." I interpret that as "life skills." But more than that, 13-16 year olds (and older) are still in the process of discovering who they are and what they want with their lives. It seems to make sense to spread the net wide and let them see lots of different options. It would be nice to have the "fundamentals" be the basics of different fields so they'd have a realistic taste of what's available. It also would be good to give them a strong enough foundation so that his/her career options are not limited.
Let's start with the list on this meme.
1. Financial Fundamentals. This meme does not identify what "financial fundamentals" they are considering, but let me guess. Balancing a checkbook, says a friend of mine. Ok, that will take 5 minutes. But's lets be real. I think our banks, phones, apps, computers do that now for us. Here's an important financial fundamental idea: Interest rates and saving money. The name of this topic is "Exponential growth." (Hint: that appears in Algebra 2. Every single one of the eight Algebra 2 textbooks on my shelf teaches interest rates in their "exponents" section of the text.) Interest rates and mortgages and college loans and car loans. Mortgage payments are calculated by a formula derived from the sum of a finite geometric series. (Hint: formula use and geometric series appear in Algebra 2.) How to play the stock market. (Ok, that's not an Algebra 2 topic, but the stock market is studied in many college economics classes -- many of which require calculus as a prerequisite; remember a prerequisite to calculus is Algebra 2.)
2. Teach kids about careers (not just college.) You bet. But is this just mathematics or does this belong in all classrooms? This is a larger topic that each subject needs to address in the classroom of each course. Each idea, each topic, each skill could and should be connected with a career that uses that skill. For example, when I teach analytic geometry (included in many Algebra 2 classes), I'm sure to address how that skill is important for rocket scientists or planners of solar panels. Or when I teach trig (included in most Algebra 2 courses), I ask the kids to research the pitch of a roof or grade of a road (construction, surveying, engineering, architecture). I've been a little bit of a weasel when I teach my Algebra 2 students graphing or statistics; a project I ask them to complete includes finding erroneous graphs in the newspapers. When we study logarithms, we consider log scales used in pH, in earthquake measurement, and the like: topics relevant to literacy about living on earth and relevant to different career possibilities. English teachers, history teachers, ....all teachers need to do the same.
3. Salaries? I'm a little confused. What about salaries? Maybe given a $15 hourly rate, how much will you make in a 40-hour week? That would be 4th grade math, I think. Does that need repeating in high school? I'm betting my kids would say, "Ms Peaches, we got this."
4. Credit. Do we show them how to look up their credit score on Experian? Did any of us learn that in school? I think we did just fine without that. Maybe if we taught them responsibility, then they'd pay their bills on time and have good credit. I'm all for teaching responsibility: In a typical Algebra 2 class, I give 30 minutes of homework each night and ask that that homework be turned in on time and with a legible name at the top of the page.
5. Budgeting (I think that's just adding and subtracting, isn't it? ) taking out a loan (see #1 above) investing (#1 above) college debt (isn't that also a loan?), buying a house (also a loan, called a mortgage, listed under financial fundamentals in #1)
6. Filing Taxes. Seriously? Our tax code is such that completing the forms for a student's summer job is easier than the formula practice (oh, another Algebra 2 topic), and practiced by following a grading rubric for a project OR it's so complicated we have tax specialists and tax attorneys who spend years in school to learn this -- and who make a whole career out of completing tax forms for individuals and companies. It's not really the kind of topic that can be put into a couple weeks or months of an Algebra 2 curriculum. Just as we can't have "surveying highways" or "the architecture of a skyscraper" as a reasonable topic in the Algebra 2 curriculum, the tax code night get to be a little much.
In short, the current standard Algebra 2 curriculum includes these topics. And more. We just need to be sure the teachers help the students make these connections meaningful and linked to a career opportunity.
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