Jarrett Stepman

Scientists Take a Stand Against “Woke Math”

The Soviet Union collapsed because it created a society built on fear and lies. The woke takeover of our institutions won’t bring us utopia, it will bring us the same misery and failure.

Saying two plus two equals four may now be problematic.
One of the key aspects of the left-wing cultural revolution that’s taken over America’s most powerful institutions is how it injects its politics and ideology into literally everything. That includes science, and now math.
Many states and school districts are embracing “woke math” for K-12 students, intentionally lowering standards and changing math curriculum to focus on attacking “white supremacy” and “paternalism” while denying objectivity.
There are at least some within these institutions now speaking out in opposition.
A group of hundreds of distinguished quantitative scientists put out a public statement condemning the transformation of science and math curriculum.
“The growing list of 471 signatories includes four winners of the Fields Medal in math; two winners of the Turing Award in computing; a Nobel laureate in physics and another in chemistry; 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences; and faculty at Stanford, Berkeley, CalTech, MIT and every top U.S. university for hard science,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
In the statement, the scientists explain why woke math will not only erode American competitiveness globally, it will also hold many students back from achievement and success.
The scientists noted California’s new math curriculum framework being considered by the state’s department of education as particularly harmful. The 800-page document, based on dubious research, would further transform the California public education system into a series of social justice activist boot camps.
The new curriculum relies heavily on a program called “A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction.”

“The concept of mathematics being purely objective is unequivocally false, and teaching it is even much less so,” a document for the program reads. “Upholding the idea that there are always right and wrong answers perpetuate objectivity as well as fear of open conflict.”
Under the new framework, coursework will be transformed to dismantle “racism” in math. What is an example of racism in math? Asking students to show their work, apparently.
Besides reorienting math instruction away from, well, teaching math to teaching students to be social justice warriors, it also calls for the elimination of accelerated programs for gifted students.
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