![Education – PBS NewsHour show](https://d3dthqtvwic6y7.cloudfront.net/podcast-covers/000/037/022/small/education-coverage-pbs-newshour-podcast-pbs.jpg)
Summary: Algebra is a core subject for U.S. high school students. But should it be? Author Andrew Hacker believes we should reconsider how math is taught: only 5 percent of the American workforce actually uses math beyond arithmetic, though higher-level classes are widely required. But Hacker’s proposal to focus math instruction in a real-world context has drawn criticism from the education community.