California endeavors to do away with 'white supremacy culture' in the mathematics classroom

Is math racist, or is it just math instruction in the United States that’s racist? We’ve written quite a few posts on how states and school districts are struggling with the question. Virginia moved to do away with all advanced-level math classes before 11th grade as part of an “equity-focused plan.” We posted a thread on teachers, educators, and professors arguing that 2+2=5, or more precisely, 2+2 doesn’t always equal 4.

Seattle Public Schools introduced a document titled, “K-12 Math Ethnic Studies Framework,” which adds to the math curriculum such questions as, “How is math manipulated to allow inequality and oppression to persist?” The Oregon Department of Education argued that asking students in math class to “show their work” is “white supremacy.” So is focusing on getting the correct answer. We wish we were making this up but we’ve read the documents.

There’s some refreshing pushback in the Wall Street Journal courtesy of Williamson M. Evers, who argues that California’s proposed curriculum framework “aims low, abandons the gifted, and preaches ‘social justice.'” He writes:

If California education officials have their way, generations of students may not know how to calculate an apartment’s square footage or the area of a farm field, but the “mathematics” of political agitation and organizing will be second nature to them. Encouraging those gifted in math to shine will be a distant memory.

This will be the result if a proposed mathematics curriculum framework, which would guide K-12 instruction in the Golden State’s public schools, is approved by California’s Instructional Quality Commission in meetings this week and in August and ratified by the state board of education later this year.

The framework recommends eight times that teachers use a troubling document, “A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction: Dismantling Racism in Mathematics Instruction.” This manual claims that teachers addressing students’ mistakes forthrightly is a form of white supremacy.

“How many units of steel will we need to complete this bridge?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. I’m more concerned that this bridge is furthering structural racism by leading from white neighborhoods into black neighborhoods. I have some troubling stories about gentrification”

— Jeff (@Coach_JIB) July 6, 2021

Can’t wait to fly around in a plane built by kids who got an A in math because they had the woke answer and not the right answer.

— UndecidedCitizen (@UndecidedCitiz1) July 6, 2021

Gonna make great engineers architects and scientists not knowing math

— jslocofoot (@jslocofoot) July 6, 2021

They are trying to wipe out any chance of children learning math so they cannot in turn learn science. Science is the enemy of the libs. See how that works?

— Carolyn (@D1sTrAcTiOnBeKy) July 6, 2021

After failing to lift the math performance in underperforming schools, CA is now hellbent on lowering the ceiling of math classes offered at high performing schools. Eliminating a Calculus option in high schools even when the highest performing math students could take it in 11th

— Katiedid shedid shedidnt (@KShedidnt) July 6, 2021

I am glad the black and white students I teach are not giant pussies! They are more interested in actually learning the material than whining because I am explaining how to get a correct answer. I work hard to change the mindset in many students from I can't do math to (1/2)

— Laurie Dotson (@LaurieAnnDee) July 6, 2021

Math is tough for me, so I have to work harder on it. (2/2)

— Laurie Dotson (@LaurieAnnDee) July 6, 2021

But I was able to thrive in math because I understood that there were rules in math that must be followed to obtain the answers. So I made sure I knew the steps and rules. How can math possibly be racist? It's such the opposite of racist 🤯

— Baby Yoda's Burner Account (@NatureInSpace) July 6, 2021

According to that study of “whiteness” going around, objectivity is a characteristic of white supremacy.