It’s definitely no secret that America has become a country of spoils who will start a small revolution if one component of their pacified lives drifts out of line. The name no longer rings bells in foreign academic corridors as test scores plummet into the abyss of a sea of competitors. The lowest achievers in foreign nations can rival America’s high achievers and this is the result of pure laziness.

Why do other countries push so hard?

It is the spirit of the underdog which has motivated other countries to claw for the top spot. Who would not be sick and tired of being a push over? In countries such as China, one of the central factors is ‘study or die’. It is not that someone will kill you. Due to a wide population, the competition for jobs is fierce and if you are not at the top seed, your family just may starve to death. This is for the individual and as for a country wide stand point, they want power. There is no greater thing than to rule the one planet known to sustain life in this vast universe. It’s almost like being king of the universe! It is absolutely clear that technology rules the kingdom and mathematics is the driving force behind unlocking the code to more sweet power. Slowly but surely, other countries are making America the underdog and seizing the power of the once unmatched empire.

What is happening in America?

Droves of sub-par students are graduating each year. At the high school level, students are having major trouble passing tests of minimum skills. This problem did not start at the high school level. For most of them, a development which begins in elementary school has escaped. The blame rests upon the teachers but more so upon the parents. A teacher cannot follow the student home and govern the better part of a student’s day. Even when confined to the classroom, attention must be shared amongst a multitude of students and it is impossible for a teacher to devote the necessary time to each specific student weakness. Parents are leaving the fate of their child solely in the teacher’s hands and that is where the failure enters. It is not only mathematics that is suffering. A basic ability to analyze and process problems has fallen victim to the broken educational/parenting system.

Are we purposely crippling our own?

Many would defensively ask, “How on earth could you suggest that we are crippling our own students?”. As valid such a defense may seem, there are a few actions which forces the question onto the table. Standardized tests are a good measure of skill but too much weight is placed upon them regarding a school’s accreditation. As a result, instructors feverishly teach to align with these tests and disregard focus on the true skill of problem solving. They create songs, dances, acronyms, tricks and tools for choosing the correct answer and conceptual understanding is ignored almost completely. Many of the students still fail miserably and those who do squeak by with these tricks are only met with a more difficult task in the next, more complicated level of math. One of these crippling tactics is the usage of sophisticated calculators to do every bit of the work for them.

It would seem that any accomplished mathematician/educator is well aware of the pitfalls associated with calculator over-usage. At most universities, calculators are prohibited on math tests. One may somewhat justify such a thing at higher levels of math but calculators are shoved down the throats of elementary school students. This is a time where basic multiplication and addition skills are to be drilled (like the good old days). Instead, they are given these debilitating tools and end up a high school senior who still draws sticks to solve single digit multiplication problems. This is in no way an exaggeration. It has been observed on numerous occasions. It is nearly impossible for them to lock in on a higher level of problem solving when a large portion of their brain energy is being devoted to something which is supposed to be second nature. If that isn’t enough to place a dagger in their future, even the more focused students struggle to decipher the code in which math texts are written.

Flip open most math texts and ten minutes into study, you will find yourself slamming into at least three road blocks unless you are already familiar with the topic of study. The books are written with a foreign ‘lingo’. Certainly it is in English but the terms and sentence structure are only fully understood by students who have been trained to read it. Even with example problems, crucial steps and explanations are skipped. For the eager student or responsible parent seeking to help their child, this is another block to success.

Yes, it seems absolutely crazy to suggest that intentional crippling is taking place but the existence of such blatant road blocks leads one to question. Perhaps the goal is to develop ‘worker bees’ and not pioneers. I mean someone has to shovel rocks, right?

How will the fall come?

As we progress in technology, the world will become a far more complex place to live. Our current devices have been packed neatly with only a finger swipe required for operation. However, our development as humans is still in fetal stages. We haven’t been around very long. Once a new mind blowing technology is discovered (not an improvement upon current technology), neat packaging may not be as possible. A highly technologically integrated society may require at least mid level math skills. If your house is fully automated, inter-planetary societies are built or artificial intelligence is developed, how many technicians can be there to come out and upkeep day to day operation? If fully integrated into the population, maintenance may require the ability to problem solve. Ironically, everyone may be forced to follow the same ‘study or die’ mentality that the Chinese currently live by. They will already be light years ahead by then. With control and monopolizing of future technologies, those who have evolved analytical minds will rule the earth. Currently, the U.S. is right on course to be viewed as a weak joke of a nation.

What do we do?

Of course at the end of any tragic story line, a happy ending is expected. Well this movie’s credits are minutes away and the star of the film is still on the ground bleeding. This issue has now followed generations of graduates and if there is any hope, it must be innovative with laser like focus. There are a few warriors out there trying to turn the tide. Leading educational sites such as

Khan Academy and Think Well

have been on the job. Though effective, some have pled for a fresh approach.

There has been a lone fighter on the war path recently who seeks to penetrate the minds of the many left out in the cold. He goes by the name ‘Hood Skala’ and displays both in videos. Hood vernacular and scholarly explanations to what seems to be kept a secret within math texts.

With steadily building momentum and entertainment value, it’s definitely worth taking a look.

Who will join the fight and prevent the fall of the Empire?