California leftists want math canceled because math is white and it’s racist. They are considering a social justice math program that isn’t traditional math — white supremacist math. They want math equity.
“Getting the right answer” is sooo white.
The proposed California framework provides examples of how “white supremacy culture” has infiltrated math classes in schools:
- The focus is on getting the “right” answer.
- Independent practice is valued over teamwork or collaboration.
- “Real-world math” is valued over math in the real world.
- Students are tracked (into courses/pathways and within the classroom).
- Participation structures reinforce dominant ways of being.
Additionally, it asserts the means by which teachers assess student learning in math is based on white supremacy culture, as demonstrated by:
- Students are required to “show their work.”
- Grading practices are focused on lack of knowledge.
- Language acquisition is equated with mathematical proficiency.
The proposed California framework continues to claim these common practices perpetuate white supremacy culture create and sustain institutional and systemic barriers to equity for Black, Latinx, and Multilingual students. In order to dismantle these barriers, we must identify what it means to be an antiracist math educator.
We think we have a good math problem for CRT math: There are several buildings on the street we are going to burn down — a tall one, three medium-sized ones, and one small one. How many buildings are we going to burn down? The child answers: we are going to burn three down! The teacher responds: No, but that’s close enough because at least you know we are going to burn the buildings down! [We’re joking about this problem, but not the rest. This is the proposal]
It’s social justice math. Watch Dr. Swain respond:
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