“Advanced mathematics education is overvalued for most careers.”

I agree. Most people never use calculus after school. That time could be spent on practical skills like budgeting, understanding loans, or basic data literacy, which everyone actually needs.

But it's not just about direct use. Studying advanced math trains your brain to solve complex problems logically. That kind of structured thinking is valuable in almost any career, even if you're not doing equations.

How do we decide what 'most careers' are? Should we track students into 'practical' vs. 'theoretical' paths early on? That feels risky for limiting future opportunities.

The issue might be how it's taught. Making math more applied—like using algebra for personal finance or calculus in design—could show its real-world value instead of just abstract theory.