Math is hard.

At least that's what children seem to be saying when they decide not to take advanced math courses even as they have the chance to do so.

So the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, a national non-profit organization that promotes better math curriculum in schools, started a "Math is Power" campaign last month to spark interest in advanced math.

Its television and radio commercials are meant to show kids that every job position, including entry-level and factory jobs, require advanced math skills, according to its statement on the Ad Council's Web site.

Most of the commercials, which air on local radio and television stations, show an office setting where co-workers address each other by their math education.

Example:

Entry-level worker: "Well, well Mr.-Studied-All-That-Extra-Math-In-High-School and now has an important job doing important things."

Math-educated worker: "Not so fast Mr.-Never-Studied-Algebra-or-Trigonometry and now is a low-level assistant. You probably have to get back to answering phones and typing."

Entry-level worker: "It's what I do best. I've become quite good at performing trivial office tasks instead of actually starting a career."

Basically if you haven't learned math, your life is hopeless.

Unrealistic, maybe. But even worse, the commercial strays from NACME's intended message.

They make fun of the entry-level worker. Even when NACME is trying to promote math in all aspects of life.

But one of the ads not only puts down the entry-level person's math education, but the entry-level person in general.

Apparently knowing advanced math gives people an unhealthy dose of superiority.

One of the ads shows an entry-level worker and a math-educated person in the break room. The entry-level worker asks if the math-educated person wants coffee. She responds:

"Oh Mr.-What-Was-Your-Name-Again-Oh-Nevermind-It-Doesn't-Matter, I'm too busy doing important things to care."

Whoa.

Because NACME said all jobs require advanced math skills, I would hope the organization finds value in all types of employment, no matter how much education they require.

NACME's intentions are good. Its "Math is Power" Web site, actually, has a very different feel from the in-your-face commercials. The site offers families resources for math education and links to sites with similar aspirations.

Advanced math is important in many occupations, but that doesn't come off in this campaign. What the math-educated characters in the commercial actually do is never mentioned. They just make a lot of money and live the high life. That's a pretty lofty position to aspire to, especially if you're not interested in math in the first place.

Why are these ads a big deal? Because more than 50 percent of middle schoolchildren drop math as soon as they have the option. NACME found only 15 percent of high school students have taken courses in algebra, trigonometry and calculus.

If children knew the importance of advanced math in a career, even if they do not want to become a rocket scientist, they might pay more attention to it.

But instead of making children feel empowered, these commercials come off as a power trip by those who are good at and enjoy math.

And that's not going to make anyone excited about taking calculus.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com