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Woke Math Returns to California
Townhall.com ^ | May 7, 2022 | Lance Izumi

Posted on 05/07/2022 4:09:49 AM PDT by Kaslin

Like the return of the undead, woke math has come back to haunt California's classrooms and make it even harder for the state's struggling students to receive a quality education.

Last year, the California Department of Education released the first draft of a new curriculum framework for K-12 mathematics, which would guide teaching in the classroom.

The first draft was widely criticized for politicizing math instruction by inserting "environmental and social justice" into the math curriculum, having students solve "problems that result in social inequalities," and rejecting the notion that math is a "neutral discipline."

Because of intense backlash, including an open letter signed by more than 1,200 mathematicians, scientists, and education leaders, the first draft was pulled back. But now, a second draft has been released and it is still filled with woke concepts and prescriptions.

The second draft says that the goal of teaching math will be to "promote racial justice." Indeed, five of the 14 chapters of the framework are focused on equity, with the CDE saying that "equity influences all aspects of this document."

This emphasis on "equity" is highly concerning because there is a big difference between "equity" and "equality."

As University of Chicago Professor Charles Lipson has pointed out: "Equality means equal treatment, unbiased competition and impartially judged outcomes. Equity means equal outcomes, achieved if necessary by unequal treatment, biased competition and preferential judging."

Frank Xu, president of Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, warns that the "new math framework is wrapped in equity," with the goal to "lower standards in the name of equal outcomes, which could have disastrous ramifications on the quality of public education."

One troubling teaching method recommended by the framework is trauma-induced pedagogy.

According to Williamson Evers, a former U.S. assistant secretary of education for policy, and Ze'ev Wurman, a former senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, trauma-induced pedagogy "is the idea that students are disabled emotionally by a racist, sexist, violent society ruled by a capitalist class and that therefore teaching should be therapeutic."

"Such teacher-therapists often conclude that their teaching should encourage resistance to society's institutions," observe Evers and Wurman, who both worked in the George W. Bush administration.

Further, despite the CDE tweaking a few things from the first draft, Evers and Wurman say that the second draft of the framework "is still highly politicized," with teachers still asked to promote "sociopolitical consciousness" among students and push a "justice-oriented perspective" at all grade levels.

Infusing math instruction with a highly politicized ideology will only worsen California's poor student math performance.

For example, 63 percent of Ventura County students failed to meet grade-level standards on the 2020-21 state math test. Statewide, 66 percent of California students failed to meet grade-level standards on the math exam.

By focusing on politics and ideology, rather than on mathematical computational excellence, the framework deprives students of the tools and learning they will need to succeed in math and, subsequently, in the workplace.

Indeed, since the framework emphasizes ideological teaching methods, Evers and Wurman say, "It will not help those who struggle in math" and will "bring down student achievement."

In other words, implementing this woke math framework will turn California's already big math problem into an utter disaster.

California, which is so dependent on STEM-related industries, cannot afford to allow ideology to trump real math learning in the classroom. The state needs competent scientists, engineers, and computer specialists, not woke math illiterates who know their pronouns, but cannot solve an equation.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; US: California
KEYWORDS: woke
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1 posted on 05/07/2022 4:09:49 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

“According to Williamson Evers, a former U.S. assistant secretary of education for policy, and Ze’ev Wurman, a former senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, trauma-induced pedagogy “is the idea that students are disabled emotionally by a racist, sexist, violent society ruled by a capitalist class and that therefore teaching should be therapeutic.”

What kind of warped mind can come up with this type of stuff to force feed children?


2 posted on 05/07/2022 4:24:08 AM PDT by Paperpusher (Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.)
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To: Kaslin

2 plus 2 equals, transgender re assignment surgery, racism, inequality, defund the police


3 posted on 05/07/2022 4:24:38 AM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: Kaslin

A white racist leaves the bus station going an average speed of 40 mph. He rides 30 minutes then gets off the bus to beat up two pregnant black women and a transgender, which takes 20 minutes. He gets on another bus and rides for 60 more minutes. Who is the most likely Trump voter?


4 posted on 05/07/2022 4:25:41 AM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Kaslin

Shaneequa is meeting Tyrone at the movie theater at 6:00 o’clock. It’s 5:25, and Tyrone is 7 miles away.
.
Q: Who is Tyrone’s biological father?


5 posted on 05/07/2022 4:38:07 AM PDT by twister881
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To: Paperpusher

Juan mows lawns for $20 each. He gives his assistant Pedro $6, and together they mow an average of 12 lawns per day.
.
Q: How long did it take Juan to swim across the Rio Grande?


6 posted on 05/07/2022 4:46:00 AM PDT by twister881
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To: Kaslin

Jane has 8 apples, Tom has 5 apples, and Traqwon has 3 apples.
.
Q: From whom did Traqwon steal his apples?


7 posted on 05/07/2022 4:50:59 AM PDT by twister881
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To: Kaslin

The other states are smarter, they keep this crap hidden, since they know that conservatives would rise up and revolt against it, if they found out. But by keeping it (mostly) under wraps, conservative idiots will STILL believe that the Left doesn’t control ‘their own schools’, the ones they send their kids too, but rather the Left only controls the schools in places they would never live in.


8 posted on 05/07/2022 5:01:01 AM PDT by BobL (Putin isn't sending gays into our schools to groom my children, but anti-Putin people are)
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To: ronnie raygun

Joe Biden has 5 domestic issues, 3 international issues, and 4 social issues on his agenda.
.
Q: On average, how many diaper changes does Joe receive each day?


9 posted on 05/07/2022 5:04:12 AM PDT by twister881
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To: twister881

Coffee all over the keyboard and monitor from LMAO. Plus, woke up the dog and cat.


10 posted on 05/07/2022 5:06:40 AM PDT by SMM48
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To: Kaslin

California politicians who voted in the new Woke math should be restricted to`driving only on those California bridges designed by new Woke math engineering grads.


11 posted on 05/07/2022 5:07:48 AM PDT by chuckee
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To: Kaslin

California = Hell on Earth


12 posted on 05/07/2022 6:03:00 AM PDT by antidemoncrat ( adn)
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To: SMM48

Glad to be of “help.” (Sorry about the computer gear.)


13 posted on 05/07/2022 6:14:25 AM PDT by twister881
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To: Paperpusher
What kind of warped mind can come up with this type of stuff to force feed children?

You know the one word answer. Leftists.

14 posted on 05/07/2022 7:02:24 AM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: twister881
Q: Who is Tyrone’s biological father?

I see we are talking philosophy here. Some questions can be answered definitively and some questions cannot.

15 posted on 05/07/2022 7:04:13 AM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: Kaslin

There is only one way to achieve true equity—strangle all white and Asian infants in the crib.

The leftists know this.


16 posted on 05/07/2022 7:05:06 AM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: Kaslin

There is only one way to achieve true equity—strangle all white and Asian infants in the crib.

The leftists know this.


17 posted on 05/07/2022 7:05:06 AM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: twister881

“Jane has 8 apples, Tom has 5 apples, and Traqwon has 3 apples.
.
Q: From whom did Traqwon steal his apples?”
Q: Why did the white masters make them work the fields to pick those apples?


18 posted on 05/07/2022 7:21:45 AM PDT by CodeToad (Arm up! They Have!)
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To: Kaslin

My math books are sadly not up to date.
I’ve got the + sign and the - sign and the = sign, but I’ve searched and searched but I can’t find the equity sign.


19 posted on 05/07/2022 7:45:40 AM PDT by Colinsky
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To: Kaslin

14 chapters of the framework are focused on equity

Only the smart student will question everything logic ensues.


20 posted on 05/07/2022 7:55:29 AM PDT by Vaduz ( )
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