Oregon’s Education Department Promotes Math Program Focused on Dismantling ‘Racism in Mathematics’

A Training Toolkit Suggests That ‘White Supremacy Culture’ Influences Math Classrooms
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is actively promoting a training program that introduces the concept of “ethnomathematics” and challenges traditional methods of teaching math. The initiative argues that elements of white supremacy are embedded in mathematics, including an emphasis on finding a single correct answer.
State-Sponsored Teacher Training on ‘Math Equity’
A recent ODE newsletter encouraged middle school educators to enroll in a “Pathway to Math Equity Micro-Course,” scheduled for February 21. This program, designed to help teachers implement a toolkit for “dismantling racism in mathematics,” is a collaborative effort between the San Mateo County Office of Education in California, The Education Trust-West, and other partners.
A key element of the toolkit outlines ways in which “white supremacy culture” allegedly permeates math classrooms. Some of the examples cited include prioritizing the “right” answer, requiring students to “show their work,” and other common teaching practices.
Challenging Objectivity in Mathematics
The toolkit emphasizes that “the notion of mathematics being purely objective is unequivocally false.” It further claims that insisting on right and wrong answers perpetuates objectivity and discourages open discourse. Instead, the material encourages teachers to explore multiple solutions to a problem rather than focusing on a single correct answer.
The ODE, led by Director Colt Gill, confirmed the promotion of the training program. Communications Director Marc Siegel defended the initiative, stating that it equips educators with strategies to “improve equitable outcomes for Black, Latinx, and multilingual students.”
Encouraging Alternative Approaches to Math Education
As part of its broader goals, the toolkit advises teachers to “center ethnomathematics” by recognizing how math has been historically used to uphold systems of capitalism, imperialism, and racial hierarchy. Educators are encouraged to challenge standardized testing norms and reconsider traditional teaching methods.
The training also aligns with materials from a 2016 workbook titled Dismantling Racism, which suggests that “objectivity”—defined as the belief in neutral or absolute truths—is a characteristic of white supremacy. It further proposes that students analyze the assumptions behind standardized test questions rather than simply seeking the correct answer.
Broader Controversy Surrounding Critical Race Theory in Education
This initiative is surfacing amid a nationwide debate over the role of critical race theory and diversity-based training in schools. Similar controversies arose following reports about diversity programs in federal agencies and academic institutions.
Critics argue that such educational approaches undermine academic rigor and introduce divisive ideological perspectives into classrooms. Others, however, support these programs as necessary steps toward addressing systemic inequalities in education.
Boston University law professor Angela Onwuachi-Willig, an expert in critical race theory, has defended similar programs, stating that they help individuals recognize racial disparities embedded in societal institutions. Meanwhile, political scientist Carol M. Swain has criticized these curricula, asserting that they are “destructive” to both racial justice efforts and the Black community.
The Ongoing Debate Over Mathematics and Racial Equity
As Oregon promotes this new approach to math education, the conversation continues over whether such initiatives foster inclusivity or compromise educational standards. While supporters advocate for rethinking traditional math instruction to eliminate racial biases, opponents warn that these changes could dilute fundamental academic principles.
With school districts across the country grappling with the implications of these educational shifts, the debate over the role of race in math instruction is likely to persist in the years ahead.
Source: FOX News
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