The Math Problem: Exploring the Dire Ramifications of Compulsory Math in High School and How It Is a Tool for Control and Compliance, Not Empowerment

What If the Real Problem… Is Math Itself?

As a substitute teacher, homeschooling parent, and unapologetic cultural critic, Theo Rhising takes a blowtorch to the sacred cow of compulsory math—revealing how this outdated rite of passage crushes curiosity, squanders youth, and props up a system more concerned with compliance than critical thinking.

Why are teens still forced through years of abstract math they'll never use—trig, calculus, polynomials—while graduating clueless about taxes, budgeting, or building a life that actually works? Why is math treated as sacred when, for most, it’s irrelevant? And who really benefits from keeping it that way?

The Math Problem © doesn’t argue against learning math—it argues against forcing it. Especially at the cost of purpose, creativity, and mental health. With thorough research, candid student conversations, and personal battles with curriculum, The Math Problem peels back the layers of a system in denial.

If you’ve ever questioned the point of high school math—or watched your child struggle under its weight—this book is the permission slip you’ve been waiting for.