The Mathematics of Opportunity Convening

Just Equations' first annual Mathematics of Opportunity conference  brought together education leaders, advocates, and researchers to analyze the way math education can be misused to undermine educational equity, and discuss ways to support more equitable math pathways from high school through college in California and beyond.

Conference speakers noted that mathematics is not always serving the purpose for which it was intended. “It’s become a sorting mechanism,” noted Eloy Oakley, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. “It’s not fair to students, and frankly, it’s not fair to math,” added Just Equations founder Pamela Burdman. Through a series of plenary and breakout sessions, participants dove deeply into the intersegmental dimensions of math education. Topics discussed included the implementation of new math pathways, shifting math pedagogy and testing practices to address equity, implications of high school math requirements for admission to the California State University system, and more.