California Approves New Math Guidelines That Encourage ‘Teaching Toward Social Justice’

California will officially adopt a new “equity” and “social justice” based mathematics framework for its K-12 schools after a vote from the State Board of Education on Wednesday.

After multiple revisions and years of development, the board unanimously passed the 2023 Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools which seeks to renew the state’s “commitment to ensuring equity and excellence in math learning for all students.”

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The 1000-page document, which has seen three revisions and two public hearings, aims to “structure the teaching of the state’s math standards around ‘big ideas’ that integrate rather than isolate math concepts,” “allow students to ‘see themselves’ in curriculum and in math-related careers by making math instruction culturally relevant and empowering” and “instill confidence in learners by dispelling myths about who can and cannot learn math.”

“Cultural and personal relevance is important for learning and also for creating mathematical communities that reflect California’s diversity. Educators can learn to notice, utilize, and value students’ identities, assets, and cultural resources to support learning for all students. Additionally, because culture and language can be intertwined, attending to cultural relevance may also enable teachers to attend to linguistic diversity – a key feature of California and relevant to the teaching and learning of mathematics,” the document reads.

The framework also includes a section on integrating “social justice” into lessons to “empower” students.

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It adds, “Mathematics educators committed to social justice work provide curricular examples that equip students with a toolkit and mindset to identify and combat inequities with mathematics.”

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