Elizabeth Harrington of the Washington Free Beacon documents the federal government’s support of efforts to important social justice into mathematics.
The National Science Foundation is spending over $1 million to train two-dozen “social justice” math teachers in Philadelphia.
The Drexel University project will promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) high school curriculums that are “steeped in the context of social justice.”
The project, which began this summer, is recruiting 24 Drexel students earning a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field, which they will train to teach in school districts in Philadelphia.
“The project will use recent scientific, mathematical, and educational knowledge to prepare and support the twenty-four pre-service teacher candidates with an emphasis on understanding the culture and life experiences of students in high-need schools,” according to the grant for the study.
The stated goal of the study is to “promote social justice teaching.”
“The project intends to promote social justice teaching, which emphasizes connecting science, mathematics, and engineering instruction to students’ personal experiences and culture,” the grant explains. “This connection can leverage the funds of knowledge that each student brings to learning.”
The project has received $1,009,762 from taxpayers so far. Research will continue through May 2023.
The study also involves a mentorship program for the teaching candidates and learning mindfulness meditation so the teachers can develop “emotional intelligence.”
