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    Say Goodbye To X+Y: Should Community Colleges Abolish Algebra?

    Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the chancellor of the California Community Colleges system, wants to kick loose the requirement of algebra for non-STEM majors.
    by Kayla Lattimore Jul 19, 2017 4 minutes
    Source: LA Johnson

    Algebra is one of the biggest hurdles to getting a high school or college degree — particularly for students of color and first-generation undergrads.

    It is also the single most failed course in community colleges across the country. So if you're not a STEM major (science, technology, engineering, math), why even study algebra?

    That's the argument Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor of the California community college system, made today in an interview with NPR's Robert Siegel.

    At American community colleges, 60 percent of those enrolled are required to take at least one math course. Most — nearly 80 percent — never complete that requirement.

    Oakley is who view intermediate algebra as an obstacle to students obtaining their credentials — particularly in fields that require no

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