If you take the position that calculus is the concept of limit and all its consequences, then things like exp() and log() are calculus and it's hard to get anything done in CS without those. In this view, saying that quicksort is O(n log n) is a statement of calculus.
If you say that calculus is derivatives and integrals, then I'd say that calculus is not that important in a digital world, and that discrete math is much more useful. However, discrete math is harder than calculus, but you can use calculus as an approximation to the discrete answer (i.e., compute the integral if you don't know how to compute a sum, or use a derivative to approximate a difference). Ironically, this is the opposite of the old attitude that the continuous answer was the true one and the discrete answer was a poor man's approximation to the true one.
Also you don't need calculus to "do" ML (even deep learning research!)
I got to the point of writing my own toy neural network from scratch, seeing backpropegation, figuring that I'd have to use the chain rule myself on my forward pass, understanding what "automatic differentiation" was and why it's important, and decided "screw that I'm not putting myself through this hell again" and decided to look into https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative-free_optimization
You can literally just find your own hetrodox subset of scholars in your field who are like "calculus? pfft!"
I've never understood the cult of calculus. I think it comes from mistaking the importance of its discovery for the importance of teaching it. It was a huge unlock for science, but is in no way a huge unlock for most people's lives.
On the other hand, I feel psychology and stats are the biggest missing pieces in K12 education. We need to build greater awareness of human needs and fallibilities, and awareness of how to make decisions in uncertain environments by understanding probabilities. Both are about developing a nuanced perspective on life and making better, more sober decisions, and they build a great deal of empathy to boot.
Finally, psych & stats are inherently relatable - everyone deals with people and has to make decisions. So much of the K12 experience isn't relatable, which is why students often hate school.
As I recall from when this came up a few years ago, the "cult of calculus" was because in the post-war era 'the end-users of mathematics studies [were] mostly in the physical sciences and engineering; and they expected manipulative skill in calculus.' - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Math .
One way to see how curriculum has changed over the last 70 years is in Sheldon Glashow's autobiography. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1950. Quoting https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1979/glashow/biogr... , "High-school mathematics then terminated with solid geometry."
Calculus is critically essential for learning many later math fields, and many important topics. Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Aerospace, etc. There is a lot of very critical fields to modern society that requires knowledge of calculus. You can't build a modern bridge without calculus.
I don’t dismiss its value in the broader education system, nor for certain industries and jobs. But specifically in the context of K12 requirements & expectations in the process of applying for college, it’s hardly foundational knowledge for most of life’s paths.
Ergo, it’s best to a) not to have college expectations be built around most/everyone having it before college and punishing those who don’t, b) focus on teaching it where it’s needed (eg when in college for those majors), and of course c) if a kid knows their path involves it earlier, make it available to learn when they want to.
I absolutely loved learning Calculus in high school in Math and 1st and 2nd year of University. I consistently got 97+% on my grades.
And I've never had to use it in my Computer Science degree or my 20 year Software Engineer career since.
Am in a bubble because I don't spend much time in the Machine Learning domain?