Rewriting Leadership Strategy: The Brilliance of Black Children

in Mathematics Lou Edward Matthews, PhD

Department of Education Bermuda

lmatthews@gov.bmwww.slideshare.net/

loumatthews

Bermuda Public School System

About us 700 miles off coast of Cape

Hatteras 6000 children 18 elementary schools 5 middle schools 2 high schools 1 special school 1 alternative program

My journey Mathematics teacher Director of schools Mathematics Ed professor Journal editor Researcher Coach

Articulation of National Standards

Adopting System of Assessments

New Focused Curriculum

Large-scale PD for Teachers and Educators

Standards Movement

Lmatthews@gsu.edu

Shifts in Mathematics Teaching

4th Annual Education Expo (Bermuda)

Less Emphasis More Emphasis

Emphasis on answer-getting Emphasis on Big ideas

Mathematics as definitions and prerequisites

On connections, applications

Memorizing procedures Conjecturing, Reasoning

Teacher for right answers Students validate arguments

Classrooms of individuals Classrooms as communities

…where students are confidently engaged in doing mathematics, problem solving, reasoning,

critical thinking, collaboration and inquiry. …teachers who intentionally facilitate a

community of students with rigorous and relevant tasks, building on student

understanding and strategies to develop procedural and conceptual knowledge.

- Bermuda National Mathematics Strategy

Our Vision for Mathematics Education

National Mathematics Strategy

Ensure common framework for teaching emphasizing problem solving

Ensure access to effective, proven interventions

Ensure opportunities for rigorous, relevant tasks

Establish standards for use of high quality texts and resources

Provide professional development for coaching, content and instruction

This ain’t Rocket Science (but it is math reform)

What we know: Fostering school and teacher

leadership

Principals and leaders establish powerful visions of a balanced program and cultures for continuous improvement in teaching.

Teachers involved in high quality job-embedded staff development that revolves around teaching and learning happening in their own classroom.

Ongoing support for observing and coaching teachers around mathematics instruction

Experiences of successful students

engaging meaningful relevant and useful

Community College Pathways report (2013)

Reframing of African American Mathematics Achievement

The Brilliance of Black Children in Mathematics: Beyond the Numbers

and Toward a New Discourse

Counters the “deficit” thinking regarding Black children and their achievement in mathematics

15 chapters, five themes Cultural, Historical,

Political Identity, Learning

environments, success

Preparing teachers

Leadership Response: Culturally Relevant/Responsive Mathematics Teaching

Transcends the reality of mathematics reform, standards, and accountability…

Challenges the ‘cultureless’ promotion of school math

Builds from the cultural experiences of students.

See excellence in mathematics achievement as within the possibilities of ALL students

Challenge inequitable math curriculum and course structure

Uses math classroom as a site of liberatory practice

Big Questions

What is MathematicsHow do you teach mathematics?How do students learn

mathematics?Who can learn mathematics?

Vision Confronts Reality

Disconnects between global excellence messages and local community discourse serves as an eminent danger to the lives of Black students.

Localized deficit-oriented discourse in urban communities has a debilitating affect (mindset of unempowerment) on educators’ actions

Negative media (talk shows, newspaper headlines, television shows) concerning the education of Black students creates a battleground between stakeholders--parents, teachers, principals, and other administrators.

1) faulty assumptions about what mathematics is

2) faulty assumptions about how mathematics should be taught

3) Resistant worldviews about Black children, equality, and justice

4) institutionalized impotence of senior leadership to address policy, resources and systemic barriers.

Four Fundamental Forces

Teachers struggled to see mathematics as a relevant,

cultural discipline from which cultural and societal inquiry can emanate and flourish (Matthews,

2003)

Students of color are often subjected to instructional strategies that

emphasize authoritative, didactic, and/or whole group instruction (Gay,

2000).

“Administrators can push teachers to change their classroom activities,

but we also need to change their fundamental beliefs and attitudes about teaching and learning, the

roles of teachers and students, and how teaching and learning should be carried out” – Leading Mathematics

Instruction

Even when mathematics tasks are around the

context of students’ lives, instruction may fail to

maximize its potential to engage students (Enyedy & Mukhopadyay, 2007).

Strategic #1

Replace current vision of school mathematics with Local dynamic, inclusive public definition

Adopt a new LOCAL definition/vision of mathematics

Build vision from ground up

Divert resources to building deep understanding around ‘new mathematics’

Strategy #2

Build a critical mass of culturally responsive/relevant mathematics teachers

Start as small as possible a number as possible: 5-10

Divert resources to building capacity for these teachers

Deploy these teachers where it matters

Strategy #3

Create Immediate ACCESS to Rigorous Coursework, Programs and Pathways

Ensure that all students experience the EXTENDED vs CORE curriculum

Business Calculus Discrete Mathematics Adopt college-leading

pathways Mandate interventions All programs: intervention

plus acceleration. E.g. A two year calculus course

“I used to be a reformer...”“I used to be a reformer…”

Movement Building 101

World Class Standards

System of Assessments

Adoption of Curriculum

Large-scale PD for Teachers and Educators

Standards Movement

Start a Movement!

You bounce a ball, kids come to play with the ball. You keep bouncing. The ball rolls under the house. The adults come to see

the commotion– Bob Moses, Algebra Project

The Case for Movement Building Bermuda has no shortage of

‘movements’ of excellence in teaching, leadership and education over the last 100 years.

Social movements of “people” have historically moved the structure around them. “When people move, everything around them must move.”

Local people movements can restore the faith of people in “change”, and their abilities to bring it about.

“Reforming” vs. “Moving”

Reforming Utilizes Reform Experts

to provide data to implement change

Facilitates small or large localized professional development funded by administration/federal/state

Often standardizes its operation across contexts

Moving Seeks the “hidden”

expertise of educators and locals as DATA to drive change

Builds small localized experiences powered by educators

Adjusts its operation and features to mold to school/local context