Why the Math We Teach Often Misses Life Skills

🧨 The Ruckus Report

Quick take:

What if everything you believed about math education was wrong? In this episode, Ted Dintersmith, bestselling author of Aftermath and What School Could Be, pulls back the curtain on how math has been weaponized — and how school leaders can transform learning by teaching the math that actually matters.

🎓 Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker

Ted Dintersmith is a bestselling author, education advocate, and former venture capitalist who believes traditional math education has failed our students. In Aftermath, he unveils the life-changing, real-world math skills students deserve to learn.

🔨 Breaking Down the Old Rules 🎯 Key Insight #1: Real Math Skills Are Ignored in School

• What's broken: We spend billions teaching rote math no adult uses.
• The shift: Teach students estimation, decision-making, game theory, and data literacy.
• Impact: Students gain tools to make sense of the world — and avoid being replaced by AI.

🎯 Key Insight #2: Standardized Testing Drives Irrelevance

• What's broken: Tests reward regurgitation over reasoning.
• The shift: Focus on deep thinking and real-life application instead of the "one right answer."
• Impact: Students build critical thinking and communication skills that machines can't replicate.

🎯 Key Insight #3: Career-Based Learning Isn't "Less Than"

• What's broken: Schools track kids into college or label them "less than" if they pursue trades.
• The shift: Elevate career-based learning, internships, and real-world skills for all students.
• Impact: Confidence, agency, and community impact — plus real jobs post-graduation.

💬 Quotable Ruckus

"The math that really matters in life does not have one right answer." – Ted Dintersmith

🚀 Your Do School Different Challenge

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

• Tomorrow: Audit your math curriculum. Are you teaching skills students will actually use?
• This Month: Host a screening of Multiple Choice and start a community conversation on real-world learning.
• This Semester: Design or pilot a learning experience rooted in data literacy, estimation, or decision-making.

🔗 Connect & Continue

🎯 Get the full episode transcript here

🔗 Follow Ted: teddintersmith.com

🎬 multiplechoicefilm.com

📌 Ruckus Makers Don't Just Listen — They Act

If education ain't a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning?

This show isn't about doing school better.

It's about Do School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what's possible.

🧠 4 Ways to Do School Different

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• 🧨 The Mastermind — Coaching and the Ruckus Maker Flywheel: Apply Now
• Every tool, community, and coaching program we offer is built to help visionary school leaders play the new game — one where leadership is creative, tech-enabled, and unapologetically student-centered.

The podcast is your starting point. The movement is just getting started.

🎙 Today's RUCKUS cast in Partnership With: ODP Business Solutions®

• Looking to create the kind of campus experience students never forget? ODP Business Solutions® transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary learning environments.

🔍 Learn more: odpbusiness.com/education

IXL

• Over 1 million teachers rely on IXL because it is empowering, helps them make better decisions with reliable data, and adapts instruction based on student performance.

🔍 Get started: ixl.com/leaders

PLAY PIPER

• Kids love gaming and computers, but are disengaged from math and science at school. Play Piper changes that with hands-on STEM kits and a coding curriculum.

🔍 Learn more: playpiper.com

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