Math matters because kids count! 
Students may ask why math is necessary. Why? Because people must have math skills to perform basic activities like following a recipe, managing a budget, deciding whether a sale item is a good
deal, and so on. Financial Analyst Mike Walker points out that kids must be proficient at math in order to buy a car without getting taken for “the wrong kind of ride.”

Math teaches both life and critical thinking skills such as logic and order. An example of mathematical critical thinking is when students are required to explain how they arrived at a solution to a complex problem or to describe the ideas behind a formula. Mathematical equations have predictable outcomes, and precise steps must be followed in order to attain that result. Discipline of mind is a byproduct, something that companies looking to hire understand and take advantage of. Some businesses will hire math majors based on the presumption that students who are good at math have learned how to think and will be able to learn and perform well on the job.

In mathematics, 68 percent of Oakland’s tenth graders passed the 2013 exit exam compared to an average of 84 percent statewide. That’s why Children Rising is recruiting a growing team of math tutors, to improve Oakland’s percentage so that more students are better equipped to live quality lives.

To learn more, email Margena Wade-Green.