By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI – The state Legislature is trying to solve problems with high school math requirements. Both the House and Senate would like to see more options created for students struggling with the algebra-two graduation requirement. Lawmakers say some vocational training should be offered in place of the course.
Senator Wayne Kuipers chairs the Senate Education Committee. He says career training courses offered in place of algebra-two still have to teach a lot of math to prepare students for the real world.
"We can teach the specific skills of the job, but we can't teach people to be good problem solvers - that has to come before we get them," he says. "And so the curriculum we put in place really is geared toward that."
But the chairman of the House Education Committee says the algebra requirement should be even more relaxed, and give students more options to prepare them for real life.