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  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!)
This is your classroom and I feel like if you feel like the content is important than to use it. Parents like to try to tell teachers what they need to be teaching if it does not fit in with their beliefs. If it was me, I would teach it just the way you did. I would explain to parents that this is data from a national magazine and that you do not tolerate hatred in your classroom and any incidents will be handled. I would also explain that you are trying to prepare students for the real world.
 
     
     
  Rating
The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes
The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes
The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes
The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes
The suggested solution is original Yes
Comments: Telling parents that you are preparing their children for the real world is a good justification for using this data and do not let Parents run your class. You have already stated that hatred is not allowed in your classroom, there are no more grounds for arguments.
Rated On: November 25, 2015 10:46 pm
Rated By: yWasyD