<p>California schools have found that [Students</a> failing algebra rarely recover - SFGate](<a href=“http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Students-failing-algebra-rarely-recover-4082741.php]Students”>http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Students-failing-algebra-rarely-recover-4082741.php) .</p>
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<p>Lots of people will never be smart enough to learn algebra. Very few employers of high school graduates (or for that matter college graduates) expect them to be able to do things such as solve quadratic equations or factor polynomials. Therefore I don’t think we should stamp everyone who cannot learn algebra a high school dropout.</p>
<p>Many college students have not even mastered fractions, as described in [Fractions</a> My Algebra Students Can’t Do](<a href=“http://www.brianrude.com/fractionsquiz2.htm]Fractions”>http://www.brianrude.com/fractionsquiz2.htm) . If you think a high school diploma should certify some level of mathematical knowledge, maybe this level should be arithmetic.</p>