I Want This Question Answered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Now that that education witch, Besty De Voss,  hes flown,  on her broomstick, over the Capitol  roof, like Margaret Hamilton out her catle window, in "The Wizard Of  Oz,"  it is my fervid hope that the educational system in this country will be revamped.

                                       The question I pose is one I have wrestled  with when I was in the midst  of  the educational  sysstem, and that is  going  back over  half a century.

                                          Why are school children who excel  in  math and science, favored over those who don't?  And why should they be?

                                              Because, darlings, before  math  can  be mastered,  reading  and  language has to take precedence.   Yet  no  appreciation for  those who excel  at  this is given.

                                                 Math was never my favorite  subject,  but I did  well  in  it; I was on a "A"  or "B" level.  Even  when  things changed in seventh  grade,  I  was  still  adept, though I never  took  pleasure in  it,  as  I  did  English,  or  French.

                                                     Then, in eighth grade,when  I was  not chosen  to take Algebra,  which I had  wanted  to study,  and was anxious  to,  as far back  as first grade, I was devastated.  It was the beginniing of  the next several  years,  which included high school  in  which I was consistently taught  How To Be Disappointed In  Myself.  

                                                        The irony is that both the eighth grade Algebra teacher, and  the  top eighth grade math  teacher, whom  I had,  were  the same.  And many of  us, in  both sections,  did  not do well  with him; some  I  considered  genuinely bright.  In  ninth grade,  either those had  to repeat Algebra I  again, or take something  called  Pre-Algebra  I,  which covered 2 semesters work in 2 years. I did fine with that,  than, for reasons  I cannot explain,  excelled in  Geometry, then  tanked with Trigonometry.

                                                            I still  feel had  I  better, more  individualized, teaching, when  younger, I might  have developed  my math potential,  which test  scores  indicated I  had,  On  the  PSAT, first time out,  I scored  higher  in math  than  verbal.  I was  shocked.

                                                              Math cannot be learned  without reading.  Stop giving  these math and science  kids  all  the  breaks,  and make  way for  those of us  gifted in  languages and the humanistic  side of  studies.   Not  everyone  is  going  into a math profession,  so why develop every high school or  college program, if  that were  the way. The brighter kids  know  what  they want  to do, and  what they are  wired  for.  So,  let  them excel,  and  grow confident; and if that means a departure from  math  and science,  that  is  the  decision.  I am  not  biased; I feel  the same treatment should be accorded  to those  upper graders who know math and science, not languages or literature, will  be part  of  their career  path.

                                                                 I  doubt I wll see such changes in my lifetime.  I hope  they eventually appear.

                                                                  I forever  regret my inability to  master  Trigonometry. That was  also  due to  faulty  instruction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                     Better skills  come from  better teachers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!