Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Math and Social Justice! No No! Recently, I read a report in a national magazine on income levels of different groups of people in the US. The report especially featured income differences between males, females and different ethnic groups. Some of the statistics were very disturbing. For example, women holding the same job as men with same number of years in the job made considerably less money in most of the states. Differences between ethnic groups were even more disturbing. I decided to use these data in my math class with my 5th graders in a lesson on graphing. The purpose was for the students to be able to interpret graphs and create graphs using the information provided. Students enjoyed the lesson and learned some social justice lessons. Apparently a lot of my students talked to their parents about what they had learned in class when they went home. I received notes from about 10 parents the next day simply indicating that what I taught in my math class would lead to hatred among my students and that I should not be wasting their children's valuable time. Rather, they suggested, I should teach math with no controversial materials. I completely disagree with them and I plan to use similar materials in my other courses as well. However, my principals asked me to send an explanation to those parents. I know my explanation will not stop the complaints. How should I go about this potentially long battle? Or should I take the short cut simply remove such content from my lessons? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) In the classroom as well as all aspects of our lives, it is important to keep all things in an appropriate perspective. The short answer your question is yes you should remove such teaching from your lessons. Not that I am saying what you are doing is inherently wrong or well meaning because it's not. However, let us break the situation down and keep thing in the right perspective. You, like me, are a math teacher. Pointedly stated, the scope of our charged responsibility is to provide our students with an understanding and grasp of mathematical concepts. That being said, emotionally heated complex political and sociological concepts like gender and race inequalities do not fall within the scope of our job description. Secondly, from what I gather from your statement; you have a personal and moral conviction about the issues you mentioned. It is neither prudent, wise, nor is it correct to direct the moral compass of children at this age on social issues that are not of universal acceptance, like cheating, lying, or stealing. These things you speak of best be left to the parents, family, personal friends, and instructors who are tasked with educating students when they have reached an appropriate age. By appropriate age I mean students who are old enough to examine evidence and come to their own articulate conclusions. Thirdly, the parents do not seem to like it and after all, these are their children. That being said begs the rhetorical question, what are you getting out of this if you continue? The answer, of course, is unhappy taxpayers (who are funding your paycheck), loss of time and energy defending yourself (in a battle you and I know can't be won), aggravated bosses, and perhaps even poor job performance reviews. The bottom line is do not use young children and your position to advance a political agenda because that is not why you or I are there. There are arenas to compete in dedicated to these issues, the elementary and middle school math classrooms are not it.