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Deconstructing the
Mathematics Industrial Complex
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The notion that mathematics practices and policies contribute to inequity is not new — it’s the reason we started Just Equations more than two years ago.
And yet, the current moment of solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement is bringing to mind more troubling parallels: On the surface, mathematics appears to be a set of truths, and math education a way of transmitting those truths — in the same way the law seems to be a set of rules, with criminal justice a system for enforcing them. But just as justice is an ideal that can be distorted and misapplied, so is mathematics, as I highlight in my latest blog post.
It discusses how the growth of “law and order” politics as well as remedial math courses came on the heels of the 1960s civil rights laws that were intended to expand political and educational opportunity for Black people.
While there’s no question that remedial mathematics is a better fate than imprisonment, the two operate in parallel ways: Both hold people in limbo states that may be temporary, but can have lifelong effects. Read more
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#ElevateBlackVoices in math, too
Just Equations has always worked to partner with and lift up voices of math educators and policymakers of color. But we’ve been a white-led organization. Until now.
As we expand our work, we’re thrilled to bring on two outstanding leaders: Melodie Baker as National Policy Director, and Francesca Henderson as Math Educator in Residence. We’ll now have an equity advocate with math depth and a math educator with equity depth to round out our team, strengthen our work, and build partnerships with education leaders, policy makers, and advocates who share our commitment to math equity!
When we put out our statement of solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement recently, we said that "a part of our mission is to make issues around educational equity visible ... Supporting students who have been perpetually failed by the education system means more than acknowledging that racism exists. With respect to mathematics, it entails working together to 're-humanize' mathematics education and re-purpose mathematics as a tool for liberation." We’re confident that these leaders, together with all of our partners, advisors, and other collaborators, will help us reach this goal.
 Melodie Baker is a nationally recognized education leader and advocate. As a community leader, charter school founder, school administrator, and program director, she has devoted her career to advancing education opportunities for disadvantaged students. She has chaired various national, state and local coalitions, including Raising New York, The Coalition for Community Schools, and the Erie/Niagara Birth to 8 Coalition, and was recently tapped to serve on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Reimagining Education Advisory Council to devise strategies for re-opening schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She joins us on July 1 as National Policy Director.
 Francesca Henderson is a career educator with a diverse range of experiences and a passion for social justice and equity. She has served as a researcher, high school math teacher, vice principal, curriculum designer, and education consultant. Her current research focuses on the transition from high school to college, and the role of mathematics in supporting or hindering the college-going process. She started as Just Equations' Math Educator in Residence in June.
Please join us in welcoming Melodie and Francesca!
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In other news
- Prioritizing Anti-racist Mathematics: In case you missed it, TODOS' recent paper
The Mo(ve)ment to Prioritize Antiracist Mathematics: Planning for This and Every School Year detailed 4 Essential Actions, filtered through our current moment, to guide as schools prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. They include:
1. Eliminating deficit views of mathematics learning
2. Eradicating mathematics as a gatekeeper
3. Engaging the sociopolitical turn of mathematics education
4. Elevating the professional learning of mathematics teachers and leaders with a dual focus on mathematics and social justice
Learn more about the current movement and moment, and how to incorporate anti-racism in mathematics here.
For more thoughts on the role of anti-Black racism in education and how leaders can respond, check out the recent presentation,
Addressing Anti-Blackness on Campus: Implications for Educators and Institutions, from CORA Learning.
- Equity and access: Just Equations is supporting an effort by the Education Trust—West and Californians Together to include equity and access principles in the next iteration of the California Mathematics Framework. Stay tuned as this work continues.
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