I think that the Math pros should lobby for a uniform notation. For example in linear equations y = ax+b ( going by the calculator notation) "b" is the beginning point and "a" is the rate of change and in exponential equation y = a(b)^x , "a" is all of a sudden the beginning point AKA initial value and "b" is now the rate of change.
Time for change, no?

Making "b" stand for "beginning point" was a great move, and an approach to notation that schools should adopt. There is no reason why "m" should stand for "slope". It is confusing and, since no-body knows why it is used, it just re-enforces the seemingly arbitrary nature of mathematics.

b + s*t = p

where: b = "beginning point", s = "speed", t = "time" and p = "position"

(You could generalise time and position to arbitrary "x" and "y", once students got comfortable with graphing physical things that they are familiar with. Rather than jumping straight into Cartesian geometry with no physical reference points, as happened to me)

A funny quote on using "m" for slope:

“When lecturing before an analytic geometry class during the early part of the course,” he writes, “one may say: ‘We designate the slope of a line by m, because the word slope starts with the letter m; I know of no better reason.’ ” – Howard W. Eves

(From: https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/11/slope-symbol.html)