Is math racist? | Ross Files

After weathering conservative backlash to a draft of Seattle's "ethnic math" curriculum that went viral, the designer of the "math is racist" program joins Dave Ross at the KIRO Radio studio.

Tracy Castro-Gill is the Ethnic Studies Program Manager for Seattle Public Schools. The program could be taught in local math classes by spring 2021.

[klondikebelridge]

The cognitive dissonance in this ladies head must be unreal. Deep down she knows she's chasing windmills but her since of moral superiority won't allow her to admit it. I actually feel sorry for her for someday she will have a crisis of conscious. I am an engineer and a Math minor and we never covered the history of Math in any Math classes. If lack of self esteem regarding math is an issue this should be addressed by sociologist/psychologist. If teachers are bias against certain groups of students they should find another profession. Indoctrinating children with Bullshit world views isn't going to help anyone, especially children of color.

[distermaer]

- Treating racism by being racist and treating different ethnicities differently... - People are so stupid I'm actually amazed.

[thedaythatendsinY]

Oh how I wish this was satire.

I grew up in the 80s and 90s and don't recall ever getting much in the way of "math history" and honestly I'm glad because it's entirely irrelevant to being successful at mathematics itself. Furthermore I dont see how giving kids who are already struggling with math LESS exposure to mathematical training by absorbing time with ethnic studies innate math class is going to make kids any better. Great now they possess even less skill with mathematics but at least they get an increased education in being a victim. This is senseless.

[neurotraveller]

It doesn’t seem related but this is all about getting to teach that the ancient Egyptians were black and have it taught nation wide regardless of what the science says.

[AuldViolin]

Oh please!
My wife is a terrific high school math teacher In Hawai’i, the majority of her students are local/Polynesian and most excel in math everyday without these so called hang ups.

[pawegorka]

"What is better ? to be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort ?"
Paarthurnax, Skyrim

[apocalypsepow]

no math in the the world, east, west, south, north, will tell you that 2+2=9

[darrenzou]

Is there any follow up on this? Its been 2 years, what are the results?

[joanofarc]

I am willing to bet that if they instituted this that those students who do not know math in ten years will still not know math.

[TKFKU]

Math may be sadistic, but it is far from racist. This is just that some teachers suck.

[tsgjwbu]

LoL 😆 everything is WTF! There is no short cut in maths.

[pawegorka]

why do they choose to force people not to demand from others rather than help people overcome their congenital deficits?
can someone show me way to understand that ?

[reinerwilhelms-tricarico]

I never had a "personal connection" to Isaac Newton. In fact, he may have been so weird that I might not really want to know. For example, it's interesting to know that he was big time into alchemy, and a kind of cultist, but it's completely irrelevant for the foundations he made for physics and calculus etc. I didn't study physics&math because Newton, Cauchy, Einstein, etc, somehow looked like me. All she is talking about is what usually would be a footnote in a math or science book, mentioning some facts about the history of people who are behind theorems in math or natural sciences - which indeed makes the material often more interesting. But it is barely relevant for understanding the material. She seems to have a different agenda; and it has very little to do with attracting minority students to learning science. To the opposite: What she preaches caters to the stupid anti-science feelings that are plentiful around: Now, with calling out the "racism in science" you finally have a good reason for skipping the math classes.

[espositogregory]

This is why I live impoverished alone in the woods. Rather scrape around for edible berries to accent my can-o-beans than suffer the lunacy boiling over in the cities.

[antonymwangi]

That woman is dangerous, she shouldn't be close to student

[jenkinsj]

Thanks for having this constructive conversation. I actually have a better understanding of this subject now. It's so tiring trying to find information on political issues due to the overwhelming bias' all the time. The fact that you brought this conversation to us with (what seemed to be) a genuine interest in trying to understand, instead of looking for ways to discredit, or glorify it was incredibly helpful to me.
In my humble opinion on this subject, it seems to me that we have educators who are looking at an obvious problem in the education system where some students are getting left behind, looking at a possible cause, and suggesting possible ways to solve the problem. Is this the answer? Is this the way to go? Who knows? I for one am happy these people are passionate about one way to possibly remedy a problem.
You people dropping negative comments, making wise cracks, and demeaning remarks: How are you helping with this issue? How are your tired, old ways of trying to fix this ongoing issue working? What if this discovery is true, and we learn ways to remedy the problem because it was true, then what? Is it worth tossing students under the bus because you are butt hurt about the possibility that racism may have been playing a role all this time? Damn people, get over it! Everyone knows racism was, and is real, and has been huge in our society's history, and culture. Is it really so far fetched to think that maybe some of its roots could still be contributing to an issue that has been around since public schools have been around? Look all I'm saying is for our kids' sake, at least be open minded enough to entertain the idea, and lets try to make some progress.

[uadhlagash]

the portfolio idea is asinine. you know why? it's just another test. If it is the thing that colleges are looking at now, then it becomes the thing that students will equally either stress over/excel/fail in. It is JUST as high stakes, and likely even MORE involved than a standardized test. In fact, I would argue that it would just be another form of the standardized test, one that is a project instead of a scantron (do they still use those?). Standardized testing is by and large the simplest way to go about this. I also do not know how you can possibly quantify the work that is being done when it comes to a "portfolio, " or have traceability of the data/work done therein to ensure the student did not cheat or indeed carried out the work all by themselves to demonstrate competence, intelligence and aptitude. Don't get me wrong, I believe we can afford to recognize the need to improve the system's recognition of PACE, which is that groups of students perform differently due to various circumstances outside of the school. We however, cannot control for that by throwing a wrench in a sensible way to measure aptitude.

[theredx]

A kid can do anything if there parents care most parents don’t care about education coming from someone that works in a school

[pawegorka]

a funny way to justify racial segregation under the guise of equality of results

[Ryan-hlet]

Yes, in the way that we don't breath air