American college students can’t do basic math – and the problem didn’t start in college. In this episode of The Deep, Erika breaks down shocking new data from UC San Diego, exposes how grade inflation and dishonest standards hollowed out education, and explores whether the “Mississippi Miracle” is the solution to America’s math crisis.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro: college freshman lack high-school math skills
2:33 - What the UCSD report uncovered
4:18 - Standardized tests and grade inflation
7:18 - The system is broken
10:07 - Getting at the root to solve the math crisis
13:35 - Conclusion: putting the soul back in education

Sources:

Bloom, Allan. The Closing of the American Mind. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987.

Horowitch, Rose. 2025. “American Kids Can’t Do Math Anymore.”  ...