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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!)
I think it is important for you to continue to use this material for its social as well as mathematical content. It introduces students to real issues that are going on in the world while also showing them how mathematics is present outside of the classroom. You are showing your students that the knowledge they are learning in the classroom can be transferred to other areas and aspects of their lives. I do think that your principal is correct in asking you to send an explanation to the parents. I think that you should tell the parents why you choose this material for both the social and educational reasons. Also, I would make sure to tell the parents that the information that you are using is factual and accurate (or as accurate as it can be). This might help the parents to see that you are making up the data to sway the students but that you are merely showing them data from their real lives and world.