California’s new proposed math framework - Comment deadline TOMORROW

I hope you’re all enjoying a wonderful summer. I am writing to alert you to tomorrow’s comment deadline for California’s new proposed math framework. All comments must be submitted by noon on July 7. It is unfortunate that the CDE decided to provide such a short comment period over a holiday weekend, and my assessment is this was intentional to avoid the massive backlash that they will eventually receive for this nonsensical framework.

My thoughts:

If I were in charge of creating a new math framework, I would look to places where children are excelling in math and borrow their strategies.

Massachusetts, Utah and Idaho have the highest NAEP scores in Math. First generation Chinese immigrants in our community explained to me the drilling and repetition they learned in school, and wonder why we cannot implement the same here – because it works.

Instead, California's proposed framework is heavy on critical theory and political buzzwords, light on actual math. It reads like an instructional manual on social justice – not how to teach math.

While this may appeal to those who identify with the far left, it repels everyone else, and FAILS THE GOAL OF ACTUALLY TEACHING MATH.

The stated focus is equity – for which there are no measurable objective benchmarks. In fact, I did not find anything in the framework regarding how to measure success.

The framework defines equity as: “fairness in education rather than sameness....equity includes four dimensions in mathematics education: (1) Access to tangible resources; (2) Participation in quality mathematics classes and success in them; (3) Student identity development in mathematics; and (4) Attention to relations of power.”

First of all - sameness is important in math. There is only one correct answer to a mathematical problem. That is how math works. Secondly - Do kids really need to be focused on student identity development in math, or attention to relations of power? Can we not just teach everyone MATH? This is objectively insane to me.

From the overview: “The goal is to ensure equity and excellence in math learning so that all California students become powerful users of mathematics to better understand and positively impact the world—in their careers, in college, and in civic life.”

From Chapter 1: “Reflecting the state’s commitment to equity, every chapter in this framework highlights considerations and approaches designed to help mathematics educators create and maintain equitable opportunities for all.”

Equity is such a heavy focus that the term is used in the titles of chapters 2, 9 and 10.

The framework is also focused on “environmental literacy” – which has nothing to do with learning math.

In summary, the horse is out of the barn on this framework and I don’t think anything can be done to change course. We have extreme partisans in the office of superintendent and at the highest levels of CDE. They are using their positions to indoctrinate children with leftist ideas.

My recommendation would be to completely scrap this framework and model a new framework based on those that have proven successful – like those in Massachusetts, Utah, Idaho and China for starters.

Instead, our government has taken a non-political subject – MATH – heavily politicized it and turned it into a critical theory vessel for “equity” – whatever that means.

Here is the framework: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/

Public comments due tomorrow July 7 at noon here: https://www3.cde.ca.gov/sbecommentsform/sbecommentsform1.aspx?m=sbe

As always, this is just one lady’s opinion. I do not speak for the Board, and no one else speaks for me.