"The Smartest Kids in the World" by Amanda Ripley (2013-09-27 23:37:27)

http://anniemurphypaul.com/about/

Math is really predictive of future earnings.  Weather or not you use math, the better you do at math, the more likely you are to finish college and get a good job.
This is partly because more jobs require math than we used to expect, but also because math is really like a language of logic.  It's a very disciplined study that builds on itself and that can be helpful in many different fields.
The goal should always be to teach kids to think critically, to solve problems they've never seen before, to persist, to pay attention to detail.


Education -
They open up worlds of literature and history and science.  They cultivate the habits of clear thinking and balanced judgement so important to the functioning of a democracy. And yes, they prepare students for their lives after graduation, much of which will be spent in the workplace.

to love learning and to following their interests;
to be able to earn a living. 
to hold both those ideas in mind at once.