Math Education: We Don't Need Algebra 2

I was cashing out at Gymboree earlier, and as I started to walk away, another customer set some items on the counter and asked, "I am buying these as Christmas gifts, but if they don't fit, will they be able to return them?"

The cashier said, "We have a 180-day return policy with your receipt." 

The customer then asked, "So, will that work?"

I won't go on a soapbox here about all that's wrong with education, but c'mon. She didn't even know enough to know she should have been embarrassed. We don't need Algebra 2 for all kids. We need to rethink our priorities and content so adults can function (moderately intelligently) in society.

Reason Number Infinity I Love My Husband

CAM was down in Saco all day today for a baton twirling convention. It's a full-day skills clinic, really (or a series of clinics, if you will).  We have had a long week, and if she wasn't exhausted already, she was certainly exhausted by the end of the day. (Evidence: one of the coaches said that by 2pm, she was "meowing" in response to questions.)

The convention is for all of the Northeast, and so this evening there was a cookout and party at the "headquarters" hotel.  They really did a nice job -- lots of outdoor games and competitions for the twirlers (I'd say "girls," but there were also a few boys), a cookout, and at the end, a campfire and s'mores.

We stayed for all the team events and dinner (CAM didn't eat, and I hadn't paid to attend, nor was I hungry) and then out of a combination of being cold and it being late -- and Day Two is tomorrow, and we live an hour away -- I decided to head home in that downtime while people were still eating and the bonfire wasn't ready.

Mind you that I checked with all the coaches that we'd miss almost nothing by leaving.

CAM broke into full sobs.  One of her coaches gave her a big hug and said she just needed rest.

I promised CAM we'd make s'mores in the oven when we got home, and when she was still upset because she was missing her "first fire," I reminded her that her Uncle Mark makes amazing fires at their house upstate and that she's been there before ... and we'll go again soon.

I then called Mick to ask him to start the oven, so that when we got home we could make s'mores, stat!

Well, when we got home, the boys had made this:

That's a paper campfire, complete with flames, colored red.  And pillows and stuffed animals are circled around the fire so we could "roast" our s'mores.

WHM was actually the one who suggested that he and Mick make CAM her very own campfire, and he and Mick made it.

CAM and I sure are lucky.

--Jen