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California's proposed woke math curriculum alarms mathematicians, scientists | Fox News

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  drakkonis  •  3 years ago  •  38 comments

By:   Jessica Chasmar (Fox News)

California's proposed woke math curriculum alarms mathematicians, scientists | Fox News
Nearly 600 STEM professionals have signed an open letter expressing "urgent concern" over the California Department of Education's efforts to reform mathematics education in the name of equity.

It is either the height of stupidity or a Machiavellian ruthlessness that is shocking to comprehend. 

Let's start with stupidity. Apparently, the goal is an attempt at equality of outcome. It isn't fair, some claim, that kids who have a talent for things like advanced math have that talent while others don't. Why should some kids qualify for an opportunity that other kids don't have? We should eliminate advanced courses so the less talented don't feel bad about themselves. After all, education isn't the goal of today's school system. It's feeling good about yourself. It's about being "validated," whatever that's supposed to do. I guess make okay whatever you think or do, even if it is wrong. It's as if the Board of Education watched the movie "Idiocracy" and thought it was something they should shoot for. 

But maybe it isn't stupidity. Maybe it's a ruthless Machiavellian plot after all. If talented but poor kids in public education don't have access to advanced courses they will be behind, and thus have less opportunity, than the rich kids whose parents can afford private schools or private advanced courses. In other words, the rich Democrats are tilting the scales in favor of their own children. 


S E E D E D   C O N T E N T



Hundreds of highly distinguished science and math professors have signed an open letter expressing "urgent concern" over California's efforts to reform mathematics education in the name of social justice.

The letter, signed by 597 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals, said the California Department of Education's (CDE) proposed new mathematics framework will aim to reduce achievement gaps by limiting the availability of advanced mathematical courses to middle schoolers and beginning high schoolers, making it more challenging for students to succeed in STEM at college.

The signatories also condemned the CDE's "deeply worrisome trend" of favoring "trendy but shallow" courses like data science over "essential" mathematical tools like calculus and algebra.

The framework, the signatories argued, would have the opposite effect of what it intends by leading to a "de facto privatization of advanced mathematics K-12 education" and disproportionately harming lower-income students.

"Subjecting the children of our largest state to such an experiment is the height of irresponsibility," the letter said.

The signatories demanded that all students, regardless of background, have access to a math curriculum "with precision and rigor," and that students be offered multiple pathways to explore mathematics at varying grade levels of middle and high school.

"Far from being deliberately held back, all students should have the opportunity to be nurtured and challenged to fulfill their potential," the letter said. "This is not only for their own benefit but also for society and the nation's economic competitiveness."

The open letter echoes similar concerns in an open letter over the summer, signed by more than 1,100 Californians working in science and technology, who argued it is "immoral and foolish to intentionally hold back the intellectual growth of students by forcing them to waste time in unchallenging classes."

The backlash forced the California Board of Education to postpone implementing the framework until May 2022, when it will review the curriculum again before it's finalized.


Article is LOCKED by moderator [Split Personality]
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Drakkonis
Professor Guide
1  seeder  Drakkonis    3 years ago

Sometimes I think we're just plain doomed.

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
1.1  CB  replied to  Drakkonis @1    3 years ago

A process question: Who is the guy in the photo for this article? That man is NOT in the article, is he? Were there no pictures in the article to put up?

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
1.1.2  CB  replied to  Texan1211 @1.1.1    3 years ago

There are 'rules of the road' on this site (NT) surely you want us to obey them, eh? This is a rhetorical question. And it is all I have for you today. Good-bye!

 
 
 
Just Jim NC TttH
Professor Principal
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
1.1.5  CB  replied to  Just Jim NC TttH @1.1.4    3 years ago
California’s recommendations aim to expand the options for high-level math, so that students could take courses in, say, data science or statistics without losing their edge on college applications. (The move requires buy-in from colleges; in recent years, the University of California system has de-emphasized the importance of calculus credits .)

For now, the revision process has reached a sort of interlude: The draft is being revised ahead of another round of public comment, and it will not be until late spring, or maybe summer, that the state’s education board will decide whether to give its stamp of approval.

But even after that, districts will be free to opt out of the state’s recommendations . And in places that opt in, academic outcomes — in the form of test scores, retention rates and college readiness — will add to the stormy sea of data about what kinds of math instruction work best.

In other words, the conversation is far from over.

“We’ve had a really hard time overhauling math instruction in this country,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, the president of California’s board of education. “We cannot ration well-taught, thoughtful mathematics to only a few people. We have to make it widely available. In that sense, I don’t disagree that it’s a social justice issue.”

So this story is not 'fully' developed at all.  Watch this space.

As to this story's implications, I hope no one is 'held back' because higher math truly is not for everybody in my opinion. I will agree more students can be put its 'rigors' in order to raise the number of impacted students overall, nevertheless.

 
 
 
Split Personality
Professor Guide
1.1.6  Split Personality  replied to  Just Jim NC TttH @1.1.4    3 years ago

Immaterial,

the use of that picture is a violation of copyright rules and thus an NT violation,

resulting in a locked condition.

 
 
 
Greg Jones
Professor Participates
2  Greg Jones    3 years ago

Some similar articles. Is there anything the "woke" doesn't want to fuck up?

 
 
 
Drakkonis
Professor Guide
2.1  seeder  Drakkonis  replied to  Greg Jones @2    3 years ago

OMG! One of the links led me to the following

Mathematics Framework - Mathematics (CA Dept of Education)

[ deleted

Mathematics provides a set of lenses that provide important ways to understand many situations and ideas. The ability to use these mathematical lenses flexibly and accurately enables the people of California to apply mathematical understandings to influence their communities and the larger world in important ways. Mathematics continues to play a role in how we conceive of our careers, evidence-based civic discourse and policy-making, and the examination of assumptions and principles underlying action. All students are capable of making these contributions and achieving these abilities at the highest levels. As a guide to implementing the Standards, this framework outlines innovative mathematical learning experiences with the potential to help all California students.

To develop learning that can lead to mathematical power for all California students, the framework has much to correct; the subject and community of mathematics has a history of exclusion and filtering, rather than inclusion and welcoming. There persists a mentality that some people are “bad in math” (or otherwise do not belong), and this

mentality pervades many sources and at many levels. Girls and Black and Brown children, notably, represent groups that more often receive messages that they are not capable of high-level mathematics, compared to their White and male counterparts (Shah [ & ] Leonardo, 2017). As early as preschool and kindergarten, research and policy documents use deficit-oriented labels to describe Black and Latinx and low-income children’s mathematical learning and position them as already behind their white and middle-class peers (NCSM [ & ] TODOS, 2016). These signifiers exacerbate and are exacerbated by acceleration programs that stratify mathematics pathways for students as early as sixth grade.

Students internalize these messages to such a degree that undoing a self-identity that is “bad at math” to one that “loves math” is rare. Before students have opportunities to excel in mathematics, many often self-select out of mathematics because they see no relevance for their learning, and no longer recognize the inherent value or purpose in learning mathematics. The fixed mindset about mathematics ability reflected in these beliefs helps to explain the exclusionary role that mathematics plays in students’ opportunities, and leads to widespread inequities in the discipline of mathematics.

It's all identity politics and wokism. 
 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
2.1.1  CB  replied to  Drakkonis @2.1    3 years ago

Wow. What is it with some conservatives? Just criticize and never 'ingest'? Just abusing terms (because you can)? Well, this is a sickness and I, for one, intend to give medicine to the sickly on NT.  First, stop abusing terms like: social justice, identity politics, and wokism simply because it breaks some conservative "hearts" to be inclusive of those who share the land, culture, and society around us together.

 
 
 
Trout Giggles
Professor Principal
2.1.3  Trout Giggles  replied to  Drakkonis @2.1    3 years ago

How much do you want to wager a math professor didn't write that?

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
2.2  XXJefferson51  replied to  Greg Jones @2    3 years ago

[Deleted]

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
2.2.1  CB  replied to  XXJefferson51 @2.2    3 years ago

Interesting. "Urban" is a bad word in your 'America" - why? I don't see much negative commentary about rural America coming out of the cities, though.

 
 
 
squiggy
Junior Silent
2.2.2  squiggy  replied to  CB @2.2.1    3 years ago
[deleted]
 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
2.2.3  CB  replied to  squiggy @2.2.2    3 years ago

What 'holy shit!' do you mean?

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
2.3  CB  replied to  Greg Jones @2    3 years ago

Very interesting (Yahoo) article! Overall, I don't know what to say about this.  Very interesting, nonetheless. I do not see a need to hold anybody back, but I do think time and space should be allowed to get some others in and up to speed. (It could take a new outlook to be instituted.)  Wise minds needed.

 
 
 
charger 383
Professor Silent
5  charger 383    3 years ago

So now, studying and being smart is bad for kids in California? 

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
5.2  Jack_TX  replied to  charger 383 @5    3 years ago
So now, studying and being smart is bad for kids in California? 

Obviously.  It will lead to them moving away.

 
 
 
Greg Jones
Professor Participates
6  Greg Jones    3 years ago

“has much to correct (because) the subject and community of mathematics has a history of exclusion and filtering, rather than inclusion and welcoming.”

Math is what it is. People either understand it or they don't  jrSmiley_78_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Jack_TX
Professor Quiet
6.1  Jack_TX  replied to  Greg Jones @6    3 years ago
Math is what it is.

Yes.  Absolutely.

People either understand it or they don't 

No.  They can be taught.  But you have to actually teach them instead of make excuses for them.  I'm a former math teacher, BTW.  

 
 
 
zuksam
Junior Silent
6.1.1  zuksam  replied to  Jack_TX @6.1    3 years ago
No.  They can be taught.  But you have to actually teach them instead of make excuses for them.  I'm a former math teacher, BTW.  

In my experience most kids can learn anything but if they're not pushed by teachers and parents to work hard many will never reach their potential. Asian students don't excel because they're brilliant they excel because their parents push them, even if they're not that smart they'll do better than someone of equal intelligence because of hard work. If parents are happy with C's then that's all most kids will deliver.

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
8  bbl-1    3 years ago

"Woke Math?"  So the right wing's response would be, "Asleep Math?"

 
 
 
Hallux
Professor Principal
9  Hallux    3 years ago

In the meantime ... do keep up folks.

California backtracks on woke math curriculum overhaul after stern opposition

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
9.3  CB  replied to  Hallux @9    3 years ago

I will have to try and find this story from an unbiased, propaganda source. I am not versed enough on it to know if FOX NEWS is telling the story straight or putting its USUAL slant on to it. I will look for a different source and come back.

 
 
 
Ronin2
Professor Quiet
9.3.2  Ronin2  replied to  CB @9.3    3 years ago

You could take a look at post #2. Greg provides two links. One being from Calmatters; which is supposed to be nonpartisan.

 
 
 
CB
Professor Principal
9.3.4  CB  replied to  Ronin2 @9.3.2    3 years ago

I am open to look into that link as well. Will let you know when I do and what I find/determine. (Smile.)

 
 

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