Yes, that article was very troubling. It got more troubling when I investigated one of the comments. Here's the comment:
This is really misleading. The College Level math class required for graduation from a CUNY senior college is itself a Math 100 class. I took it, and passed it, and learned nothing. After passing that class a student can graduate without taking any more Math. The Math requirement for graduation does not mean that students are learning anything about Math, it just means they're passing it and getting that requirement out of the way.
I looked up Math 100 at CUNY. Here are some snippets of what I found:
Mathematics 100 is a terminal course! It is not prerequisite to any other Mathematics course. If you are planning on taking more Mathematics or Statistics, for example if a Mat/Stat course is required by your major you should drop this class. You are in the wrong class if you are planning to take more Mathematics and registered for math 100 to brush up on Mathematics.
And the catalog description (emphasis mine):
MAT 100, Fundamentals of Mathematics I: This course explores the basic structures of mathematics, focusing on conceptual thinking rather than extensive calculation. Students who enjoy constructing arguments and abstract and theoretical approaches to ideas should take this course. Some students find this course easier than previous math courses they�ve taken because it doesn�t involve extensive or complicated calculations; other students find this course harder than previous math courses they�ve taken because it demands the ability to think more theoretically. This is also a good course for students interested in becoming teachers or majoring in education at a 4-year college.
If you click through the first CUNY link, you'll find sample exams. I could teach some of that stuff on the first exam to my six-year-old in ten minutes, and I am not joking or exaggerating or implying that her giftedness is the reason why.
Worse, they equate Math 100 with the two other courses that satisfy the math requirement for graduation: statistics and pre-calculus.
