School mathematics is largely useless for learning physics. But it needn't be.*

Physics educators often see mathematics as a toolbox for solving problems. This view fits naturally with the mathematics that most U.S. school teachers teach and that most students learn--meaningless rituals for getting answers. The two perspectives combine to make mathematics largely useless for learning physics. I will argue that a deep emphasis on ideas of quantity in school mathematics, and greater attention to the requirements of quantitative reasoning in physics, would benefit both math education and physics education greatly.