Debate emerges over racism and white supremacy in Oregon math instruction

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A new debate has emerged over the controversial topic of white supremacy and racism in school math instruction.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) recently sent a newsletter to math educators in the state. The newsletter contained information about a virtual micro-course in math equity instruction that teachers could sign up for. It was titled "Pathway to Math Equity Micro Course 2.0: Valuing and elevating student discourse in the math classroom." The course was provided by A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction, an entity focused on dismantling racism in mathematics instruction.

The course offering started to garner headlines, as some wondered how a topic like math instruction could be rooted in racism or white supremacy.

A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction does offer an82-page workbook on how teachers can "examine their actions, beliefs, and values around teaching mathematics." The group claims white supremacy culture can show up in the classroom in various ways, including when "the focus is on getting the 'right' answer," and when "students are required to 'show their work.'"

The group also says educators should try to "center ethnomathematics" by identifying and challenging the ways that "math is used to uphold capitalist, imperialist, and racist views."

Allen Alley, former chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, says ODE should never have offered the course.

"Trying to introduce something other than the correct answer in math and then somehow tying it with white supremacy is ridiculous as far as I'm concerned," said Alley. "I can't disagree with it more."

However, the approach to teaching does have supporters.

Oregon Democratic state Rep. Janelle Bynum says she generally supports most ideas in the workbook, while understanding some can challenge current opinions.

"I will admit that to the naked eye, the proposal is pretty bold," said Bynum. "It's going in a very curious direction. But I think if we try to experiment with different ideas, experiment with different ways of learning, to try to capture the talents that our kids have, that to me is the most important thing."

Bynum highlights other items mentioned in the workbook, including highlighting mathematicians of color and giving rightful credit to the discovery of math concepts by mathematicians of color. Bynum is a former engineer and says her schooling involved focused lessons on those kinds of topics.

"We were very familiar with Benjamin Banneker and Garrett Morgan, even Madam C.J. Walker," said Bynum. "So that was just kind of baked into the curriculum from an equity standpoint. I think if someone looked back on it, they would be like, 'that was equity.' This, I think, is a courageous jump in a bold direction is how I would describe it, and I'm curious to see what the results would be."

Bynum did express hesitation with some concepts in the workbook, including one suggestion to "have students create TikTok videos, silent films, or cartoons about mathematical concepts or procedures."

"A first, the TikTok example really challenged me," said Bynum. "But then I said, 'Well you know, there are some kids that can explain things through a video."

One Oregon teacher who is currently exploring some of the concepts in the workbook says there is somewhat of a middle ground in the debate. He supports some concepts but disagrees with others, like the idea students shouldn't show their work.

"It says students are required to show your work and that's one I like, you know," said Muhammad Rahman, a math teacher in the David Douglas School District. "I'm the type of teacher where I give them the answers and I want to see their thinking."

Rahman says exploring the concepts in the workbook has been a journey for him and he's happy that his traditional methods of teaching are being challenged.

"There's something I might be doing that could be problematic, so just looking inside and trying to make sure I'm the best version of myself and make sure I'm teaching the best way I can to my students," Rahman said.

KATU has learned the micro-course, to be offered on Feb. 25, was canceled but the reasons are unknown.

KATU repeatedly reached out to ODE for an on-camera interview but they declined. Instead, they sent the following statement.

The micro-course entitled, “Pathway to Math Equity Micro-Course 2.0: Valuing and elevating student discourse in the math classroom” was included in the newsletter as an optional professional learning tool for educators looking to better engage students and improve outcomes for students of color and multilingual learners. Building math instruction on an equitable foundation can better ensure all our students have a pathway to success in math.

The course is focused on: 1) providing culturally responsive, asset-based practices, 2) providing meaningful access to priority math content; and, 3) as mentioned, improving equitable outcomes for Black, Latinx, and multilingual students.

Rigorous Instruction For Every Student

ODE stands behind the value that high-quality, rigorous mathematics instruction must be prioritized for every student in Oregon. These goals are shared by many of our professional education partners across the state. The training opportunity shared in the Math Educator Update reminds teachers what we know is true in teaching all students: that high expectations, high-quality content, and strong relationships with students and families lead to substantive increases in student achievement.

Accuracy and precision are important aspects of mathematics. Our discussions and resources reinforce the presence of correct answers to foundational mathematical problems. Challenging math experiences include the understanding of key concepts and the ability to use math flexibly for applications in problem-solving contexts. A rich math experience provides opportunities for students to explore multiple strategies, to see math as more than a set of discrete procedures, and to apply math to real-world problems.

Engaging Our Students Will Help Oregon Overcome Systemic Inequities

Oregon’s mathematics achievement data highlights systemic inequities for Oregon’s students of color. This is not a new story. The idea is to remove barriers for students based on ideas of mathematics readiness that may contain racial and ability biases. One way to do this is to incorporate the history of mathematics and how many different cultures have contributed to our understanding of mathematical concepts over human history.

Cultural context is helpful for all of our students in learning. Not all tools provided by A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction may make sense for each individual school; the content is simply to generate new ideas for engagement and strategies for educators. For example, students in rural districts may not necessarily benefit from a mathematics lesson plan that incorporates public transit, one idea mentioned in one of the toolkits. However, another idea for students to go on walks to engage with slope would have more practical application.

Background Information On The Course

For more background information on this course, it is sponsored by the San Mateo County Office of Education with partnership from the Association of California School Administrators, California Association for Bilingual Education, California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators, California Together, California Partnership for Math and Science Education, California STEM Network, Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, Parent Institute for Quality Education, Quetzal Education Consulting, Sacramento County Office of Education, Merit Research, Policy and Evaluation, San Diego County Office of Education, Teach Plus, TODOS: Mathematics for All, UnboundEd, & WestEd.