President’s Messages
Each month, our president shares insights and inspirations related to mathematics education and our organization.
Cut and pasted president’s message from past months. Be sure to delete extra space and lines so that the formatting looks correct. DUPLICATE AS MANY TIMES AS NEEDED
Visions
(Photo by Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash)
“And with our visions in place, we can realize them through what follows, our commitment, and the steps toward them.”
-Prentiss Hemphill
What It Takes To Heal
This time of year is so familiar. The newness of the air in schools, the promise held between new batches of learners and families, the hope in all that can be accomplished is palpable. I felt this feeling for each of the 22 years I was teaching in a classroom. It hits different now as I applaud the educators devoted to make a difference. The baton is passed, but not forgotten.
For the past 20 years, TODOS has been on a mission to serve math educators, math leaders, families and the general public by providing them with knowledge and resources, thus influencing educational policy. In so doing, we advocate for equity and high quality mathematics education for all students — in particular, Latinx students — incorporating the role of language and culture in teaching and learning mathematics.
This proud president is elated to have a board full of humans are not afraid to vision a bold future. Together, we are allowing ourselves to dream and create what we want to see in the world. For example, this month, for the first time, we are partnering with Christopher Danielson and Math on a Stick in Minnesota, spreading the love of joyful and humanized mathematics. We look forward to not only our awards program and Salsa Party, but will be hosting a more informal meetup at NCTM next month in Chicago. We want and need YOU to dream with us and create what we want to see in the world.
How? Start by taking a look at our committees and what they do. Which one best aligns to your interest and expertise? Interested in communications or marketing? Well then, Member Services is for you. Do you know people in other math organizations that we should be collaborating with? Put your knowledge to work with the Partnership Conferences committee. If you know what you’d like to see on our website, PLEASE tell us here. We are looking for new, fresh ideas and are better together. Complete our membership survey and let us know how we are doing and how to improve. Because according to Prentiss Hemphill,
“Underneath our current reality is a future waiting to be conjured.”
I invite you to help shape the TODOS vision.
El Elefante en La Habitación ᐧ The Elephant in the Room
This month, I choose to address the elephant in the room. If you didn’t already know, I am a Black woman, wearing that identity proudly. It is how I was raised. It is my legacy. Unfortunately for many, my identity means that people’s expectations of the words I speak, the actions I take, and who I am as a person are often pretty low. Gutter low. So when I am able to turn a phrase with wit, or create, plan and execute a project flawlessly, or lead a cohesive team, I am often met with incredulity. And if I should in any way signal that I am aware of my talent, I am punished by some for not being humble.
Humility: freedom from pride or arrogance, according to Merriam-Webster
(Photo by Geronimo via Unsplash)
Yes, even as a president of a multinational organization, I am met with this familiar underestimation of my abilities. There exists a pressure that demands us to shrink ourselves for the comfort of others. Evidence of this phenomenon abounds if you are paying attention. It even, or especially, happens in mathematics.
I recall reading of high school students, Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson who presented at the American Mathematics Society last year. You may recall seeing a 60 Minutes segment on them after they went viral for their non circular trigonometric Pythagorean proof, something deemed impossible for centuries. While I was proud of these Black girls, I was not surprised by their mathematical chops. However, I was taken aback by the vitriol from those who sought to belittle and devalue their work for having the audacity to express themselves mathematically, and do it so well. These girls were not even particularly interested in mathematics. They saw a challenge and rose to it. As I said, this denigration happens often. Like clockwork. Instead, confidence deserves to be lauded and bolstered. We all deserve encouragement to pursue excellence.
Many have studied, documented, and continually seek solutions in this area. Dr. Nicole Joseph has devoted much of her career as a mathematics education researcher and writes about this in her book, Making Black Girls Count in Mathematics Education. Black Girls Love Math seeks to build the needed confidence in Black girls to pursue their own brilliance while Black Girl Magic seeks to nurture mathematics identity. Although I have named a few, there are many working to foster positive mathematics identities that acknowledge mathematical brilliance and creativity.
I encourage you to offer your support wherever you can. We are living in times where effective programs offered in our schools are few and steadily decreasing in number. One example is the longstanding Black Students Achieve Program (BSAP), which is currently under fire in Los Angeles. Our young people will need individuals to fight for them. Will you lend your hand?
Last month, I extended the offer to chat with anyone interested in the president elect position, While the nomination period has passed, I would like to extend that offer to anyone interested in a leadership position. Talking with others has really helped me visualize myself in different roles. So, if you are interested please send an email to requests@todos-math.org with your request in the subject line, and we can schedule a Zoom chat.
Colleagues,
I come to the end of my term as President of TODOS: Mathematics for ALL on April 30, 2024. It had been approximately 10 years since I’d served on the TODOS Board when I was elected in 2021 as President-Elect. Over the 10 years I’d observed the growth of TODOS activities.
In this enews I will share some of the activities that the amazing volunteers with TODOS have completed over the past 3 years. I focus on these particular activities only as a way of providing background to the emergence of some organizational changes that occurred during the 2023 – 2024 year, TODOS’ 20th Anniversary.
In June 2021 TODOS received a two-year grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation to develop and strengthen its infrastructure to escalate its efforts to advocate for equity. From June 2021 – June 2023, the following was accomplished: moved TEEM to OJS, determined a publishing software license for TODOS, organized TODOS recordings in Vimeo, updated and streamlined the website, identified fund development ideas, developed a TODOS Conference Handbook as a guide for TODOS Conferences, and developed a Professional Development Handbook as a guide to provide Social Justice PD for schools, districts, and other entities.
The Heising-Simons Foundation also funded a consultant to work with TODOS on organizational assessment and development in 2021 – 2022. Through this activity the Board voted to focus TODOS’ future resources on creating systemic change in June 2022.
Through these two activities (develop and strengthen infrastructure as well as organizational assessment and development) there was also a need identified. If TODOS wished to expand its influence to focus on systemic change then organizational changes would also need to happen. TODOS could no longer be a completely volunteer-run organization. In Summer 2023 the Heising-Simons Foundation agreed to provide additional funding to support TODOS for an additional two years. It is through this new funding that TODOS has been able to hire a half-time Managing Director on contract. The Managing Director will work to support the volunteer Board and committees.
TODOS also wanted to build on the momentum of the initial funding from the Heising-Simons Foundation. In the fall of 2023 TODOS was successful with a grant application to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to be able to further develop professional development materials using TODOS resources and further develop a digital presence. These two initiatives will contribute to focusing TODOS on creating systemic change. TODOS member Katie Rupe, who led the development of the grant proposal, has agreed to serve as Project Director for the implementation of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant. TODOS 20th Anniversary was a time of celebration (which we did at the TODOS Conference in June 2023) and the year was a time of organizational introspection as changes were made.
I offer gratitude to all of the volunteers who’ve contributed to the variety of activities and initiatives over the past 3 years to ensure that the foundation for these organizational changes is strong.
I also encourage you to review, watch, and read the materials that the PD committee have recommended for March 2024 – see pages 3 and 4 of this writing.
With respect,
Florence
President (2022 – 2024)
Colleagues,
Happy 2024 to each of you. I am a fan of the writing of the late Richard Wagamese. Each time I read Wagamese’s writings I am inspired and I learn something new. The writing I share with you today is coming from One Drum: Stories and Ceremonies for a Planet (2019), published by Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd.
In the book Wagamese recounts a legend about a time when the animals decided they needed a leader. It was decided that a race would be held because “a race would show who exemplifies the qualities of leadership. A race requires perseverance, fortitude, strength, and a powerful will.” (p. 48)
“There is a lake set between a circle of steep hills,” Eagle said. “I have flown over it many times and have seen that it forms a perfect circle. The terrain is challenging, rocky and steep, with thick woods around it. The race will be four times around that lake. This will demand the utmost of the contestants and the winner will indeed be the hardiest and most qualified to lead us.” (p. 49).
Horse, Buffalo, Cougar, and Wolverine eagerly entered the race. When Eagle asked if there were any additional challengers – Rabbit said, “It would be an honour to contest with such magnificent beings.” All of the animals were worried that Rabbit was too small to participate.
The race began. The bigger animals had completed two laps around the lake by the time Rabbit completed the first lap. Rabbit said, “Oh, the land is so lovely….There is so much to see and the feeling of being on it is beautiful.” Eagle replied, “There is no way for you to ever catch up.” (p. 50). Rabbit’s response was, “Don’t worry about me. I’m here to enjoy the challenge.” (p. 50). Eagle suggested that Rabbit concede at the completion of Rabbit’s second lap, but Rabbit’s response was, “It is not honouring the challenge if I should stop, ….It is a noble pursuit and it asks everything I have. So I will continue.” (p. 52)
The bigger animals were slower in completing their third laps and all started on their 4th lap. Rabbit, on the third lap, encountered each of the bigger animals. Each of the animals had encountered some trouble and required the wisdom of Rabbit to ‘get out of trouble’ in order to complete their 4th lap. As each of the larger animals ‘got out of trouble’, Rabbit encouraged them to join together to complete their 4th lap. All 5 animals returned to the starting point. The bigger animals having completed 4 laps, Rabbit completing three.
Eagle announced that they had a leader, Rabbit. Rabbit’s response was “Oh, I do not want to be the leader,…I entered to learn what I did not know. I did not enter to contend.” “I understood the meaning of leadership, but I did not understand the territory.” Now “I understand that when all our energies are directed toward the same goal there is no need for one to lead. We all help each other complete the journey.” (p. 61)
Rabbit then starts the 4th lap and the animals wonder why Rabbit would continue with the 4th lap around the lake. Rabbit replies, “But there is much I have not seen or learned. It is in the journey that one comes to understand the territory. It is in the journey that one becomes wise, and I have one more lap to go.” (p. 61).
I encourage you to read Wagamese’s full account of this legend as there are powerful messages for who we are as teachers, educators, leaders, and humans.
I share this writing today as I think about “New Years”, our individual dreams and goals for our classrooms, and for TODOS as an organization. I also think about how humans are seduced into thinking that we are in a race – so much of the discourse in educational systems is situated in time and in winning. Iwonder, how do we, as members of an equity-focused organization focus on the goals of mission of a high quality mathematics education for ALL?
I wondered, as an organization focused on equity then does it mean that implicitly our mission is assuming that each human will achieve in mathematics at the same time? Have we been bound in our thinking that learning is about meeting the state standards? Or provincial standards? Or the pressures of standardized assessments?
As I reflect more deeply on this legend I think about….what is the territory that mathematics educators need to come to understand? I see the role of Rabbit as a teacher leader. Rabbit teaches and leads the 4 bigger animals around the last lap in the race. Each of the bigger animals – with all of their strength and speed succumbed to the territory in different ways. While each of the larger animals navigated the territory successfully for 3 laps, they were not able to sustain their journey. It took Rabbit’s wisdom to teach them to navigate the territory. What does this say to us about the journey of school? Or the journeys as leaders?
Or the journeys related to high quality mathematics education? Colleagues, what does this legend cause you to think about and reflect upon in your role as a mathematics teacher, educator, leader? I encourage you to use TODOS’ resources, examples outlined by the PD Committee following this message in your journey and reflection on this legend – TODOS is a part of the territory!
With respect and gratitude for all of the diverse ways that you support the mission of TODOS: Mathematics for ALL!
Florence Glanfield, President
TODOS: Mathematics or ALL
Reference:
Wagamese, R. (2019). One drum: Stories and Ceremonies for a planet. Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd.
Colleagues,
I was able to attend the NCTM Regional Conference in Seattle in early February. TODOS, along with a sponsor, Texas Instruments, hosted a Student Awards ceremony on Thursday February 8.
It was a beautiful time to meet five amazing youth, their families, and their teachers. One of the youth, a high school senior who identified as Latina shared a powerful story of the way that she experienced racism in her high school. The youth was the only visible human that did not present as white in the classroom. The explicit experience was about taking a test and the results of that test. The youth was the last student to complete the test in the allotted time. When the results were returned the youth noticed that one of the correct responses on the test paper was graded as wrong. When the youth approached the teacher, the teacher suggested that the youth had cheated in some way. When the youth tried to talk to the teacher, the teacher accused the youth of being aggressive. I am paraphrasing what the youth shared with all of us present at the Awards ceremony; mostly I was in awe of the courage and strength that this youth exhibited as they shared their experience with all present in Spanish and English.
The experience this youth shared resonated with me, and for some others in the room. For some of us in the room the youth’s experience helped us to recall the ways in which we had to.
• A Black educator shared that they too had the same experience as the youth – but 50 years ago.
• Female learners required to advocate, or have our parents advocate for us, to take high school mathematics and / or college level mathematics courses.
• I, personally, recalled the ways that the high school calculus and physics teacher ‘separated’ the two female-presenting students from the male-presenting students in my high school experiences for in-class activities, and being told that action was being done because ‘we, the two of us’ could not keep up to the ‘males.’
• I also recalled a response I had when I identified as ‘native’ in my first university mathematics classes, that “I thought you people couldn’t do mathematics.’
The experience at the Student Awards ceremony really ‘struck’ me as the lessons and experiences of youth and humans in relation to Mathematics and Mathematics classes that were shared at the Opening Session was still resonating in my heart and mind. The opening plenary at the Regional Conference was titled “Embracing All Through Mathematics: Putting Value and Belonging at the Core.” This was a beautiful session that included recordings of youth in mathematics classes that talked about the ways in which they feel valued and belong in a mathematics class plus a moderated panel that included speakers Filiberto Barajas-Lopez, Hanaa Elmi, RunningHorse Livingston, Pamela Seda, and Cathery Yeh. The panel was moderated by Abel Maestas. The voices of the youth alongside the voices of the diverse humans in the panel all intersected in the opening session.
These experiences remind me of the importance of the ongoing work that ALL mathematics educators need to do, reflect on, and take action on – and that is to ask ourselves, in what ways are the spaces that we inhabit, spaces of belonging and feeling valued. What actions might we, as individuals take, to contribute to the spaces being spaces where diverse learners / humans belong and feel valued?
I will share one more experience from the NCTM Regional Conference. The Opening session panel included 5 speakers. The advertisements around the convention center included all 5 speakers plus the moderator. However, the NCTM Conference App only included the names of 3 panelists and the moderator. The two names that were not included on the app were the two humans that identified as Indigenous or Native American. I was so stunned and confused as someone who identifies as Indigenous to the place now called Canada. I wondered, did these two speakers not make their flights to Seattle? When I arrived in the ballroom I noticed that all of the speakers were indeed present…but then I wondered, why were they not included in the App? With the help of an NCTM Board member I learned that the limitations on the App was 4 speakers. So then I began to wonder….how was it that only the Indigenous humans were left off the App? I never got an answer as to why the two names were left off the App, but it did remind me of the importance of someone being accountable for ensuring that ALL of the speakers were included. By the way, once I raised this concern to the NCTM Board member and they spoke with some human, the two names were included on the App. So, while the Opening Session was to be a session about feeling valued and belonging in mathematics classes, no one took accountability to ensure that the ‘system’ supporting the Opening Session was also an inclusive space. I certainly hope that raising awareness of this limitation to the App will assist future NCTM Program Committees to be aware of their accountabilities.
These two experiences at the Regional Conference reminded me, once again, as an Indigenous person in this field of mathematics education that there is still much work to be done. TODOS Mathematics for ALL has amazing resources that you can use to Take Action in the spaces that you inhabit – to advocate for, and build spaces, for belonging and feeling valued in mathematics.
I encourage you to ‘take in’ the resources shared by the PD Committee for the Month of February 2024 on page 3 of this message.
I acknowledge, with gratitude, to all who organized the Student Awards, Lisa Jilk, Susie Håkansson, Maci Nelson, Seattle Awards Lead, and the Seattle Public Schools Student Awards Committee, the nominating teachers, Maria del Rosario Zavala, and gratitude for the ongoing support of Texas Instruments. Texas Instruments representatives Vince O’Connell and Tom Steinke joined us on February 8.
With respect for your continued commitment to advocating and taking action for creating spaces that promote a high quality mathematics education for ALL.
Florence Glanfield, President (2022-2024)
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL
Happy New Year! Some might say that it’s too late for this greeting (if you celebrate on the Gregorian calendar). But, it is just in time if one celebrates New Year on the Orthodox calendar (January 14) and it is a bit early if one celebrates on the Lunar calendar (January 22). While it is a New Year, I’m writing this on the late Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday.
I am drawn to Martin Luther King’s commitment to equity and his courage. In the speech “I have a dream” King talks about his dream and makes it visible for all to imagine with him. I am also drawn to three sentences…
“We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”
During this year (whenever the New Year starts for you), TODOS: Mathematics for ALL will celebrate its 20th Anniversary. I think about those early mathematics education advocates who came together to walk together around a dream of high quality mathematics education for ALL; the ALL included bilingual and multilingual speakers, racialized humans, and humans who did not have access for other reasons.
Over the 20 years we’ve learned that there are so many ways that mathematics education and educational systems more broadly have ‘not included’ humans for a variety of reasons. As an organization and as individuals within the organization we’ve continued to learn and to make visible the vision and actions (i.e. the way we might walk the vision) through TODOS Live! Sessions, the Blog, the Podcast, Position Statements, articles in TEEM, leadership institutes, conferences, etc. TODOS has laid down a path in their walk, leading the ways for other organizations, in what vision and walking might look like.
You will see references to TODOS’ 20th Anniversary throughout this year. I invite each of you to participate in opportunities, such as the 2023 Conference, to focus your vision and to find a stride in your walk, as we collectively ‘march ahead’ in advocating for high quality mathematics education for ALL.
And, as we collectively march ahead I invite you to visit some of Martin Luther King’s quotes, published by the Rotary Action Group for Peace in 2016. These quotes remind me of King’s courage and help me to continue the march forward.
With respect and gratitude,
Florence Glanfield, President TODOS: Mathematics for ALL
It is near the winter solstice as I write this, December 21, the longest night of the year for those who live in the northern hemisphere. The further you live north of the equator the less daylight you might have during the day time hours. Right now we have less than 8 hours of daylight in any one day. June 21 is the day with the most number of daylight hours, where we get close to 22 hours of daylight. I grew up trying to make sense of this cycle of mother earth. I have two vivid memories about childhood wonder:
Why was it not a similar structure on the two dates; that is – if there was about 22 hours of daylight on June 21 then why wasn’t there 22 hours of darkness on December 21?
Why the holiday my family celebrated as Christmas was on December 25 and not on December 22? In my mind Christmas should’ve been on December 22. If Santa Claus was needing to deliver gifts to ALL of the children around the whole world then wouldn’t Santa Claus need the most number of darkness hours (i.e. December 21)?
I don’t have a vivid memory of receiving satisfactory answers to my childhood wonders. But, these two wonders lingered as I continued to learn. And, I eventually became aware of the existence of different calendars.
The way I understand it now is that all calendars were a way that humans kept track of, and made sense of the rhythm of mother earth; different peoples in different places around the world observed the cycles in relation to the sun, the moon, and stars. Different calendars emerged because of the different places and the different practices of ‘keeping track.’
As I think about mathematics, teaching mathematics, humans being mathematical and humans keeping track I wonder, how did ‘we’ as human beings, come to develop a ‘system’ of mathematics teaching and learning practices that lost sight of the emergence of mathematical notation – or the emergence of ‘keeping track?’ As systems of standard practices have emerged I propose that there’s been a loss of the notion that mathematical notation is a way of ‘keeping track’.
In my teaching I’ve learned to ask not only students in my classes, but myself, what does the notation mean to you? Sometimes I ask ‘what picture do you have as you write this expression?’
When I ask this of my students, it helps me to understand my students’ thinking. When they ask me the question it gives me insight into my own thinking.
“Why do you read an equation the way you do?” was a question posed to me by a preservice teacher. It stopped me in my tracks. I’d never thought about it before. I needed to ask for clarity, i.e. how did they notice I was reading an equation. Apparently I always said out loud “is equal to” when I came to the equal sign. This preservice teacher noticed that I read an equation differently than they read one. I shared my thinking and then asked my class to share how they read an equation and their thinking. Over the time of our discussion weexplored different metaphors that were used in the class and whether or not those metaphors hold true throughout the K – 12 content. We also talked about what this meant for teaching and how it is that while teachers might teach a particular practice that students may ‘learn’ a different one because of the experiences students have had.
As we approach a New Year in the Gregorian calendar I invite you to reflect on experiences you’ve had and the ways that they’ve shaped and continue to shape your practice as a mathematics educator. I think back to the two childhood memories I have of ‘being mathematical’ and trying to ‘keep track’ in relation to my lived experiences. I think about the preservice teachers asking me what could’ve been interpreted as a ‘seemingly simple question’ and yet our exploration of it became so beautifully complex – the same way that coming to diverse calendars is so beautifully complex.
I also invite you to engage in exploring beautiful complexity by participating in TODOS Live Sessions, reading TEEM, and planning to attend the 2023 TODOS Conference, June 21 – 23 in Albuquerque NM. TODOS is a community where we celebrate the beautiful complexity of being human and being mathematical.
I believe we need to advocate for complexity in order for ALL to succeed in learning mathematics; the standardization of practices suggests that we don’t honour the complexity of the humans learning and living.
With respect and gratitude,
Florence Glanfield, President TODOS: Mathematics for ALL
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL will host an in-person conference June 21 – 23, 2023, on the homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia, in a place now known as Albuquerque, NM. We are in the midst of planning an exciting program so that we can engage in conversations around the theme,
“Actions in Mathematics Education (AiME): Catalyzing, Cultivating, and Expanding Critical Transformations.”
We are excited to announce two keynote speakers: Dr. Belin Tsinnajinnie, a research associate with WestEd, and Dr. Kari Kokka, an assistant professor of mathematics education at the University of Pittsburgh.
The conference planning committee and the program committee are working hard to plan a program and experience where we will learn from one another, have fun together, and celebrate students and teachers. You will have the opportunity to join like-minded humans who are
committed to actions that will cultivate, catalyze, and expand critical transformations so that ALL have access to, and succeed in a high-quality mathematics education! And, there will be a special opportunity to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of TODOS: Mathematics for ALL!
I INVITE YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US FOR THIS SPECTACULAR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN JUNE 2023.
The conference will be held at Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, and I look forward to meeting YOU and YOUR COLLEAGUES in Albuquerque in June 2023.
With respect and gratitude,
Florence Glanfield, President
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL
Plan to Be in Albuquerque in June 2023 for the 2023 TODOS Conference
The fall season is well underway for those of us who live in the northern hemisphere. I say this because I write this enews post from territories in the southern hemisphere where spring is starting. Bushes are beginning to bloom, and it is a stark reminder of the different seasons as leaves are falling off trees where I live in the northern hemisphere. It is a time in the northern hemisphere when professional development sessions and conferences are being advertised, and we are being asked to participate and learn.
My note this month is to invite you, and for you to invite your colleagues, to participate in the 2023 conference from June 21-23, 2023, in Albuquerque, NM. The conference theme, “Actions in Mathematics Education (AiME): Catalyzing, Cultivating, and Expanding Critical
Transformations.”
I invite you and your colleagues to participate in ways that are most comfortable for you:
- You might wish to share some of the work that you do, individually or collectively, about supporting a high-quality mathematics education for ALL learners. The call for proposals is open till October 28, and we invite you to submit your ideas.
- You and your colleagues might wish to participate in the sessions – learning from speakers and from other participants.
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL is planning for an in-person conference, and we are all aware that we have much to learn about safety in a time when COVID-19 is no longer considered a pandemic but an endemic. As well, we are committed to being as inclusive as possible
throughout the conference – and this means looking at all aspects of conference activities – to promote an inclusive and accessible environment for ALL humans that participate.
If you’ve not previously participated in a TODOS conference, then know that TODOS plans activities that encourage participants to build relationships among and between humans, ideas, and knowledge systems. We look for ways to invite each other, in all of our individual and collective diversity, to walk and live in ways that catalyze, cultivate, and expand critical transformations in mathematics education for ALL.
If you’d like to know more about the ways in which conferences and congresses might be inclusive for ALL then I invite you to explore the report Igniting Change. The report was produced in 2021 for a national organization in Canada and outlines some possibilities for
conference organizers to consider. The TODOS Conference Committee and Board are reviewing this report.
So, as TODOS moves forward in the planning of an in-person time together, I ask that you keep an eye out for the developments related not only to the outstanding program that is being planned, but also for practices related to a safe and inclusive experience. I ask you to be a part of the conversations that collectively Expand Critical Transformations by:
- SAVING the DATES and PLANNING to be in Albuquerque NM, June 21 – 23, 2023; AND
- INVITING your colleagues to join YOU!
With respect and gratitude,
Florence Glanfield, President
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL
Land as the Backing for the Emerging Patchwork Quilt
Last month, I shared a metaphor for a classroom – the emergence of a patchwork quilt. It is a powerful image to think about the diversity of humans and thinking that occurs in a mathematics classroom. Each quilt that I’ve seen also has a backing; and I invite you to imagine now, what is the backing of the emerging patchwork quilt that is unfolding in your ‘classroom’ or in your work as a mathematics educator.
For me, the backing is the land, the place(s) where we are located as humans. The land supports the humans and the systems that humans have created. For me, the land is the backing of my emerging patchwork quilt.
When I think about the land as the backing it causes me to think about the history of the land; the land that was occupied for thousands of years prior to the “discovery” of North America by ‘explorers.’ I think about the ways that the First peoples of these lands must have been curious by the ‘arrival’ of humans that looked differently than they did, spoke languages differently, and were traveling by means that they did not know. I also think about how the First peoples of these lands would not have known what those early ‘explorers’ would bring to their communities. The early explorers were not killed because they were different; in fact the early explorers learned to survive (and I imagine it is because they were taught by the First Peoples) with these new lands. The early explorers were able to return to the lands where they were from and report about their ‘discoveries.’
Over the hundreds of years since the arrival of these early explorers, the First Peoples of these lands have been consistently ‘displaced’ by the policies and systems that emerged from those early explorers. Over the centuries, the stories told about First Peoples were erasures of their experiences with the early explorers. The beautiful part of the somewhat new practices of acknowledging the territories of First Peoples is that it is a recognition that First Peoples were here, in what we now call North America, prior to the arrival of those early explorers.
So, for me, the backing of my quilt is the land, the land that has been occupied for thousands of years, by First Peoples who are my ancestors. It is the land where ceremony was conducted, where stories were told, where different tribes met to share learnings, where disagreements
occurred, and where peace was made. And this is why I think the backing of my quilt is the land. Those ancestors’ ceremonies, stories, learnings, disagreements, and peace are still shaping the systems that I live in and the emerging quilt that is unfolding in my classroom.
The experiences and responses of those early First Peoples to the early explorers have shaped the diversity of the humans that now call these lands of Mexico, United States of America, and Canada home. It is why we can have an organization of diverse perspectives and experiences like TODOS: Mathematics for ALL.
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL is making visible those erased stories and acknowledging that we ALL have the privilege of living, playing, and working where we do because of the responses that the First Peoples had to those early explorers. The agreements that were signed in those
early interactions were often of friendship and learning about and from one another. However, we know that in all of the countries that are now known as part of North America those first agreements of friendship and learning changed to spaces where systemic policies were enacted to take away land from and to erase First Peoples.
As you transition into the month of October, I invite you to think about the land where you live, work and play and the history of that land and which stories have been erased. If you live in what is now known as the USA then October 10 might be known to you as Indigenous Peoples Day or as Columbus Day. I invite you to read these insights from a 2020 article in the Harvard Gazette.
On August 31, Drs. Belin Tsinjinne, Rochelle Guitteraz and I shared our understandings of the ways in which land acknowledgements shape and continue to shape mathematics classrooms and discourse in mathematics education. Please keep an eye out for the availability of a video from this TODOS Live session.
TODOS also has a special interest group, Educators of Native American Students (EONAS) and a small group of amazing humans are attempting to activate EONAS. I invite you to join EONAS when you renew your TODOS: Mathematics for ALL membership!
I invite you to invite your colleagues to join TODOS: Mathematics for ALL – we are an exciting organization where we invite perspectives and experiences of humans and worldviews that have been ‘erased’ by dominant discourses, practices, and worldviews. The organization is a space where you will hear and learn about the ways in which humans of all ages and experiences participate in creating equity for ALL in mathematics.
With respect and gratitude,
Florence Glanfield, President
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL
Metaphors for Mathematics Classrooms: The Emergence of a Patchwork Quilt
For many educators across this place called North America the months of August and September are the beginning of a new school year. As we begin those new school years I invite you to think about the metaphors that you live in your practice as a mathematics educator. The metaphors that I use are greatly shaped by my stance as a human and the learnings that I’ve been taught. Many years ago an Indigenous scholar shared with me that their understanding of learning is that learning occurs through deep observation and deep listening; actively participating in all aspects of community life; multi-age settings; conforming and demonstrating uniqueness; and kinship and interpersonal relationships. As I came to make sense of these 5 principles I came to better understand that teachers and educators are also learners. And, in that awareness the metaphor that I use for my classroom shifted from one of learners as empty vessels, a metaphor that I had repeatedly heard in my early years of teaching.
The metaphor that I now use to tell the story of my classrooms (and, the metaphor that I try to live in all of the work I do) is that my mathematics classroom is like the emergence of a patchwork quilt over the school year or school term. In my classroom, there are many diverse humans that are all learners and many diverse mathematical concepts; I, as the teacher or educator, am included in that diversity. Each human is a patch and each mathematical concept can be included as a patch. The lives of each of the humans and the ‘living of the mathematical concepts’ come into the classroom and are now a part of the emerging quilt.
As the teacher, I am responsible for learning about the diversity of the humans and the concepts; and then, like the ‘quilt maker’ for weaving together over the school year the multiple diversities and the multiple concepts into a whole quilt. In order to do this, my ontological stance in the process needs to recognize that the classroom is the ‘community’ – and that each patch will be simultaneously demonstrating uniqueness and conformity. I, as a teacher must learn about the diversity and beauty in each of the patches and recognize that the patchwork quilt that will emerge with this group of humans will be different from the quilt that will emerge with other groups of humans. Equally important is recognizing that each human and each of the mathematical concepts will offer insights and wisdom into the whole quilt.
So, what does this mean for me in my teaching? I now teach in an undergraduate teacher education program. My students are now studying to become secondary mathematics teachers and the focus of my teaching is mathematics pedagogy. I begin each course with talking about
metaphors for classrooms, and in particular mathematics classrooms. I share my metaphor and then I invite each of my students to create a quilt patch that describes their unique gift(s) that they are bringing into the class. I also create a patch. Each human in the room then shares the stories that they tell about their gifts as this is how we begin to develop a relationship. Over the course of the term I return to the concept of the quilt; talking about the patches that are being added (i.e. the mathematical concepts) and the threads that we are collectively using to weave together the patches. I try to make visible in my words and actions the importance of the metaphor for me and the ways in which decisions I make as a teacher are related to the metaphor.
On one of the final days of the course I share with my students the “threads” that I used to make sense of our quilt and the ways in which I see those threads as weaving together the patches. In invite the students to use their individual patches, to describe the metaphors that are emerging for them or, if they wish to use the patchwork quilt metaphor, as a piece of their final assignments in describing what they’ve learned in the course.
As you begin the new school year I invite you to ask yourself:
- What metaphors do I use for my practice?
- How did I come to know this / these metaphor(s)?In what ways does this / these metaphor(s) support my work as an advocate for high quality mathematics education for ALL students?
- In what ways does this / these metaphor(s) support my work in building inclusive spaces for ALL students to learn mathematics?
New school years are exciting times for everyone and I wish you a successful school year; a year filled with awareness of the threads that you use to weave together the emergent quilts in your practice.
And, I also invite you to invite colleagues to join the community of TODOS: Mathematics for ALL. TODOS: Mathematics for ALL is a learning community – a community that advocates for high quality mathematics education for ALL students.
With gratitude and deep respect,
Florence Glanfield, President
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL
As we prepare to take on roles in our schools and institutions, we know that we as individuals advocate for students who are underrepresented in the field of mathematics. In my view, so many systems were not built to be ‘inclusive’ – I often say that universities, schools, and so many other ‘systems’ were actually built with particular humans in mind – and the humans were not the diversity of humans we understand today – gender, sexual orientation, race, linguistically, neurologically, and physically. We, educators, who belong to organizations such as TODOS: Mathematics for ALL see the diversity in all of its ways and believe that the systems such as school and classrooms and content area should be inclusive.
Sometimes we feel like we are facing an uphill battle. This spring I was feeling particularly ‘beaten down’ in the advocacy work that I do on a daily basis – and in that time I learned about a Japanese proverb that says something like “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.”
I learned about the proverb in the context of a play, written by Jeanne Sakata, about the life of the late Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi. Gordon Hirabayashi was a resistor of, and openly defied, the internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War. Gordon would hear this proverb from his family because they did not want him to be a resistor – they wanted him to stay safe and conform to the laws. When Gordon finished his prison sentence, his family added a piece to the proverb, “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down; but it [the nail] might also break the hammer.”
Dr. Hirabayashi immigrated to Canada in 1959 and was a Sociologist at the University of Alberta till his retirement in 1983. I did not have a chance to study with Dr. Hirabayashi when I was a student at the University of Alberta but I have since learned about his life and the work that he did to advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples. His story inspires me because not only did he resist the internment of Japanese-Americans he also advocated for Indigenous peoples’ rights in Canada, in the province of Alberta, and at the University of Alberta.
We not always ‘see’ the efforts of our advocacy work or we may not ‘see’ the impact of our advocacy work – so while we might feel like we are “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down” in the advocacy work we do, that “‘the nail’ might also break the hammer.” Dr. Hirabayashi did not live long enough to see the results of his resistance to the internment of Japanese Americans; nor did he live long enough to see the efforts of his advocacy for the rights of Indigenous peoples.
But in 2012, just a few months after he passed, Dr. Hirabayashi was recognized posthumously with the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 for his advocacy for the rights of Japanese Americans. I’ve come to realize that I, as a young Indigenous women in 1976, had a space in post secondary education because of the advocacy of Indigenous elders and community members and non Indigenous professors, like Dr. Hirabayashi, who were working at the University of Alberta.
I share this experience with you as I hope you are finding the time you need to re-generate and find your voice in the advocacy work that we as individuals and as a collective need to do to ensure that ALL students; ALL learners in all of their ‘diversity’ find a place in mathematics
classrooms and in the study of mathematics. This is the mission of TODOS: Mathematics for ALL – together our individual and collective actions might be the “nail that breaks the hammer.”
I invite you to find the story of an inspiring advocate; and keep their story with you as you engage in your advocacy work.
Yours in advocacy,
Florence Glanfield, President
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL
With Gratitude
My 2-year term as President of TODOS: Mathematics for ALL has ended with so much gratitude. With your support, TODOS has accomplished more than could have ever been expected during these unprecedented times. This special edition of the Enews highlights some of our many successes over the past 12-months. To the TODOS Board, committees, sponsors, and volunteers – thank you for a job well done. You are amazing, and it has been an honor to work with and learn from you.
As President, I’ve been afforded opportunities to engage with like-minded professionals on topics such as school to workforce challenges, data literacy for all students, the importance of parental/caregiver partnerships, the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ students, and so much more. TODOS’ antiracism focus has inspired numerous professional learning events and publications as well as new district and state mathematics education
frameworks. Like you, I’m disheartened by many events in our nation that continue to traumatize our communities. However, TODOS remains strong and committed to hearing your ideas and developing resources to support your work.
For sure, the virtual world brought us closer together and better connected. I am a person of faith and believe everything in my life to be a blessing, including you. Again, thank you for everything. You will never know what these past two years have meant to
me.
Now let’s welcome the dynamic Florence Glanfield as she begins her term as President!
Linda M. Fulmore
TODOS: Mathematics for All
Past-President
Cut and pasted president’s message from past months. Be sure to delete extra space and lines so that the formatting looks correct. DUPLICATE AS MANY TIMES AS NEEDED
I identify as an Indigenous person, a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta; a mathematics teacher, educator, researcher; a university administrator; and as President-Elect of TODOS.
In May 2021, I had the honour of moderating a panel discussion around equity, diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in mathematics, science, and technology education. The panel included two high school students who were involved in an EDI club at a local high school. The club was student-led and formed to uplift the diverse voices of students in the school. The two students were also a part of a Student Senate that meets and works with the school trustees of the School Division. In 2020 – 2021, the Student Senate chose to focus on “Amplifying the Voices of BIPOC Students” through curating a magazine, recording a podcast series, creating workshops to build awareness of racism with junior high and senior high school students, presentations at school board meetings, and developing 10 resource packages for their school division. (retrieved, November 14, 2021, from https://sites.google.com/epsb.ca/studentsenate/home/2020-2021-senate/club-packages?authuser=0).
The experiences of the two high school students were inspiring. They spoke eloquently about the role that teachers and administrators play in building equitable and inclusive spaces of all diversity and they spoke about the value of teachers demonstrating the ways in which diverse individuals participate in mathematics, science, and technology education throughout Black History Month (recognized in February in both the US and Canada). I thought a lot about this experience when I, like so many others, viewed the video of a California teacher mimicking a
Native American dance to teach a mnemonic device to remember three primary trigonometric ratios in October 2021. I understand that it was a high school student in the class that recorded and posted the video online.
In the span of 5 months I was inspired by youth twice in their public pronouncements. Firstly, I was able to observe the ways in which youth, supported by teachers and school and school division administrators, could contribute to building awareness of, and teaching about, racism,
diversity, equity, and inclusion; and secondly, I was inspired by the California youth who posted the video of the teacher. These youth are making their voices known and I believe asking mathematics educators, and educators generally, to listen.
In weaving these two experiences together, I also wondered how might teachers, educators, and administrators might learn to listen and learn to acknowledge Indigenous / Native American / Aboriginal individuals engaged in mathematics, science, and technology? Where might the sources for teachers and youth to learn about the contributions of Indigenous peoples to these fields?
There are sources to learn about the histories of Indigenous peoples in these lands now called Canada and the United States. Here are some examples:
November is known as National American Indian Heritage Month or Native American Heritage Month. The US National Congress of American Indians writes that the month, “is commonly referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, histories, and traditions, and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people.” (retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://www.ncai.org/initiatives/native-american-heritage-month).
September is known as Hawaiian History Month. “The original purpose was to advocate for education of and cultural awareness about the overthrow and illegal annexation of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The September celebrations and events honoring the Queen are also making clear to Hawaiians, and to those who visit Hawai’i from around the world that as a Lāhui, or nation, we have been working steadily to improve our situation from Lili’uokalani’s time until our own.
And especially in the last forty years, advocacy for preserving and building upon this legacy has accelerated.” (retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://www.hawaiiponoi.info/).
June is known as National Aboriginal History Month (now National Indigenous History Month) in Canada since 2009. June 21 has been celebrated as National Aboriginal or Indigenous Peoples Day since 1996. (retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://www.rcaanccirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100013785/1529102490303). The Canadian Constitution recognizes three distinct groups of Aboriginal peoples: Indians (now regularly called First Nations, Inuit, and Métis).
But what about the contributions of Indigenous peoples to mathematics, science, and technology more specifically? Here are some places to begin to explore:
SACNAS: The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science: https://www.sacnas.org/
AISES: American Indian Science and Engineering Society: https://www.aises.org/
More recently, a new international collective, Indigenous Mathematicians, has emerged: https://indigenousmathematicians.org/
I invite each of you to recognize diversity in all its forms and to include First Peoples of these lands now known as the United States and Canada in your image of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We must challenge ourselves to recognize the colonial structures that exist within our living, our practices, and our discourse. To quote a colleague, Dr. Dwayne Donald, ”we must unlearn colonialism.”
I encourage you to journey with TODOS as we navigate the spaces where we, as individuals and as a collective, unlearn colonialism – in order to create opportunities in mathematics where humans, in all of their diversity, have access to, and are successful in, high quality mathematics
education programs.
Post Script:
On a personal note, the video was a stark reminder for me of my high school experiences when the mnemonic device shared in the video was one that I remembered hearing in my high school mathematics class. Secondly, viewing the video reminded me of another mnemonic device I learned in elementary school, about how to spell arithmetic. These experiences were 40 – 50 years ago and stay with me today.
Dr. William W. Schieffelin Claytor (1908 – 1967) was the third African American to earn a PhD in mathematics in the United States. He earned that degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1933, and his field of study was Topology. Although his work was cited worldwide, Dr. Claytor never secured a position at a research university because of his race. When invited to give talks at various mathematical events, the receptions, meal functions, and accommodations at host hotels were not available to him. His work faced more scrutiny than the work of his colleagues. Dr. Claytor became discouraged and eventually stopped pursuing his goal to become a faculty member at a research university. These were all accepted racist practices against African Americans during that time. It was societal, and there was little Dr. Claytor could do; others accepted it as standard practice.
The American Mathematical Society (2021) recently acknowledged Dr. Claytor’s story in Towards a Totally Inclusive Mathematics Profession:
Patterns of exclusion have a real psychological impact. They are remembered by their victims (and by others around them), and they desensitize others to the real impact of these actions. They are traumatic. To not be able to stay at conference hotels sent explicit messages of exclusion, as well as barred Claytor from the informal interactions that are critical parts of professional activity (p. 2).
Some might wonder why organizations such as TODOS make statements about Black Lives Matter, voter suppression laws, and Asian hate. Some might argue that mathematics organizations should stay out of politics and not take stances. If we care about the social-emotional well-being and mental health of our children and their families or caretakers, then we must not remain silent. Children cannot learn, and families and caregivers cannot function when life events are harmful and traumatizing. To not take a stance gives validation and permission for further marginalization.
As this school year ends and another begins, we should first pause and reflect on how far we’ve come and what we’ve learned. Not all acts of discrimination and marginalization make the news. Unfortunate events impact the lives of children and adults every day. As educators and citizens, we have an important role in disrupting and dismantling racist structures and practices both in and out of school. Like Dr. Claytor, dreams unfulfilled can significantly alter life’s pathways.
Now is the time to set goals for antiracism work for the upcoming school year.
- Begin by establishing a vision for your classroom, your department, and your school.
- Acknowledge and articulate to others racist practices and structures within your work environment.
- Focus discussions on the positive changes needed to support students and families/caregivers who may have faced hardships over the past months.
- Share resources and provide safe spaces for colleagues and other stakeholder groups, including parents and caregivers, to reflect, listen and learn from each other.
- Be intentional with professional development plans in order to learn more about antiracism with the goal of developing actions.
Do not work alone. Find like-minded individuals who will collaborate with you and additionally support you. As you plan, do not be discouraged as we are working to disrupt and dismantle a system that has become normal and, to some, difficult to recognize or acknowledge. By all means, pace the work; take breaks; pause; then begin again.
Resources
Eakins, S. (2021). Sustaining Antiracist Momentum Resource. Available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-bfFRSV3nkAlIy5m5LHz4ZR-Ugz90lL/view
The events of January 6th are unsettling, and for some of us, the burden gets heavier and heavier as we watched in disbelief the racism and white privilege perpetuated before our very eyes. Surprised, yes, but not surprised, because it’s what we’ve known, experienced, and observed our whole lives. For the first time in a long time, I look over my shoulder more and perhaps not trusting as much. Dr. Julian Weissglass once said that racist acts are learned and often imposed on the very young child. No one is born racist! Yes, each rioter was once a child in our schools, playing in our neighborhoods. What happened?
As educators, what can we do to disrupt racism and help our children and ourselves be more caring, tolerant, and accepting of differences? It begins with us examining our biases, beliefs, and reflecting on relationships with students and each other. Are we guilty of double-standards in disciplining students or in whose voices we respect in a meeting? What does our instruction say about our beliefs about particular groups of children? We each have to answer these questions for ourselves. Though we cannot solve all the nation’s problems, we can do something; we must!
Join TODOS as we continue this journey for clarity, patience, and new understandings. Many new resources are popping up to help. Here are just a few:
- How Should Schools Teach Kids About What Happened at the US Capitol on June 6th?
- Annihilating Racial Injustice in Schools – This is a 9-hour webinar series appropriate for educators at all levels of equity work.
- When Bad Things Are Happening – This resource provides a guide for talking with students about troubling events. The important thing is not to dismiss children when they want to talk.
- Black Student Voices – Classroom Discussions on Race
Dr. Linda M. Fulmore, President
TODOS: Mathematics For All
In November, the mathematics community lost two giants, Rocio Benedicto, and Gil Cuevas. Both were stars in the TODOS family and will be missed. We will be forever grateful for their contributions.
Rocio Benedicto was the founder and Director of New Mexico State University’s Collaborating for Outstanding Readiness in Education (CORE) program. Rocio served on the TODOS Board in many capacities, including developing social justice professional development that was facilitated throughout the country. Rocio will be remembered as a friend, collaborator, and one who had a relentless passion for social justice and equitable education for children.
Gil Cuevas was on the mathematics faculty at Texas State University, Austin. Throughout his professional career, he received numerous awards and recognitions. In 2015, Gil was the recipient of TODOS’ Iris M. Carl Equity Leadership Award. His work on the NCTM Equity and Diversity Committee in the early 2000s led directly to the establishment of TODOS. It was an honor to know and walk beside both Rocio and Gil.
In 2020, TODOS worked to increase visibility by updating its website, developing new resources, and offering webinars to help educators respond to the changing dynamics of our schools, communities, and our nation. We appreciate your support and confidence. Thank you! Look for more in 2021.
Have a safe and refreshing holiday! Let it be a time of renewal!
Be well,
Dr. Linda M. Fulmore, President
TODOS: Mathematics For All
TODOS recently released the fourth commentary, Equity Considerations for Access, Design, and Use of Technologies for Teaching Mathematics, supporting the position statement, The Mo(ve)ment to Prioritize Antiracist Mathematics. This commentary offers a holistic approach and outlines important actions, including norms and ideas for accountability, as you navigate this school year with online platforms and the unknowns that go with them. You are encouraged to be creative, flexible, and patient with virtual and hybrid formats so that each and every child will be successful every day.
The position statement and four commentaries were developed to provide reflection, change, collaboration, especially with families, as well as promote equitable strategies to do school in better ways. Here is the list of remarkable authors: Maria Del Rosario Zavala (lead author), Amber Candela, Nichole Lingren, Ma Bernadette Andres-Salgarino, Zandra De Araujo, Gladys Krause, and Erin Sylves. Please join me in thanking them for their contribution to mathematics education, and visit www.todos-math.org for all of the links.
So what can you do right now?
We see this work influencing administrative decisions, such as vision statements, and classroom practices that will put the care of students and families first. We encourage the use of ideas into professional learning opportunities for teachers, such as providing time for teams to dive into deep study and analysis, one statement at a time. There is sufficient content for jigsaws or book study like formats.
I invite you to join The Mo(ve)ment to Prioritize Antiracist Mathematics by sharing this information with others you know, such as colleagues in other disciplines, outside your workplace, and within your community. I know that together we can make a difference so that more equitable strategies will be used to do school in better ways.
Continue to stay strong and to be encouraged!
Dr. Linda M. Fulmore
TODOS Mathematics for All, President
It’s here, the beginning of another school year. And with that comes the excitement of meeting our students for the first time. Our wonderful students come to us wondering, believing, thinking, and valuing. They come with school and community knowledge, and new lived experiences as a result of our nation’s recent events. These rich experiences and knowledge will be unique to each child. And with that comes the hope that we will listen and respect without judging. Our children know and understand more than we think. So let’s not hold them back from the learning they desire and the changes they seek in the world.
This year may be different, but think of it as an opportunity. We don’t and should not go back to the ways things were. We must put the well-being of children and their families first and academic content second. We must believe in the brilliance of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous children. We must embrace new technologies that ensure humanity in virtual spaces.
Your responses to our newest position paper, “The Mo(ve)ment to Prioritize Anti-Racist Mathematics: Planning for This and Every School Year, are so encouraging, and the supporting commentaries are on their way. We hope you will find the commentaries just as powerful. They contain research-informed information on social-emotional learning, assessment, parental involvement, and technology.
TODOS wishes for you the best school year ever! We still are in the greatest profession!
Stay strong! Be encouraged!
Dr. Linda M. Fulmore
TODOS began in 2003 when a small group of educators met in Phoenix, AZ. Under the leadership of Founding President Miriam Levia, a need was recognized, resulting in a mission to advocate for equity and high-quality mathematics education for all students— in particular, Latina/o students. Today I think that mission must go beyond the walls of the classroom to advocating for fairness in life and freedom from discrimination and marginalization. It’s been stated that America is currently dealing with two viruses, COVID-19 and racism. Indeed, the events of the past few months and days have made far too many inequalities and injustices visible.
This is the lens by which I’m beginning my tenure as President of TODOS, and I accept the challenge. We can no longer believe that a focus on curriculum, instruction, and assessment will be enough to prepare our children for survival in the world. We need anti-racist conversations for ourselves and our children. TODOS will continue to develop new products and professional learning opportunities for teachers, leaders, and families so that every child can succeed in school, in their careers, and in life.
Be well, be safe, and be hopeful!
Dr. Linda M. Fulmore