Florida schools: Computer science now counts as math credit - is this a good idea? [View all]

[TexasTowelie]

Florida is one of 47 states allowing computer science to count as math credit. But are these changes helping students or hurting them?

In 2013, a who’s who of the tech world came together to launch a new nonprofit called Code.org. The purpose of the organization was to get more computer science into schools.

Billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates donated millions of dollars to the group. According to the organization’s last annual report, Code.org spent more than US$91 million between 2013 and 2018. Of that amount, $6.9 million went to advocate for state legislation across the country.

As part of the organization’s mission to “make computer science count” in K-12 education, code.org takes credit for having influenced graduation policies in 42 states. Today, 47 states and the District of Columbia allow computer science classes to count in place of math classes like Algebra 2. Prior to the organization’s work, only a few states allowed computer science to count for math credit.

Read more: https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20191015/florida-schools-computer-science-now-counts-as-math-credit---is-this-good-idea