“It seems to me that whenever we start[ed] succeeding, they start[ed] canceling the programs. When we succeed, the powers that be…they don’t want us to succeed.” retired Atlanta Black mathematics teacher, 2018 Authors: Jenice L. View, Toya J. Frank, Jay Bradley, and Marvin Powell In our previous article, we introduce the Trajectories study, our project […]
Toya Frank
Dr. Toya Jones Frank is an Associate Professor in the Mathematics Education Leadership and Secondary Education programs at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Her research focuses on understanding how race impacts mathematics teacher education and enhancing advanced mathematics learning spaces for historically marginalized students. She is also a visiting scholar and program officer at the National Science Foundation for the 2021-2022 academic year. She is a collaborator with mathematicians, mathematics teachers, and teacher leaders in the United States, and abroad. Frank is a former high school mathematics teacher and department chair, and educational consultant for clients including DC Public Schools and ACT, Inc. To learn more about her current research, please visit www.blackmathteachers.org
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why Race? Why Mathematics? Listening and Learning with Black Mathematics Teachers
Authors: Toya Jones Frank, Jenice View, Marvin Powell, and Jay Bradley. “I’m a math teacher,” but [administrators and other teachers] don’t look at me as a math teacher because of who I am… [S]o that speaks volumes about what the rest of the country must think as well. (Asa, middle school mathematics teacher) This quote […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics, Parents, Uncategorized
It Starts at Home: What Parents Can Do to Support Their High School Students in Advanced Mathematics (Part III: It's Cultivated at Home)
In Part 1 of this article series, I suggested helping students to develop a new definition of “smartness” in mathematics. In Part 2, I presented some strategies that parents can implement both at home and with the support of their high schooler’s mathematics teacher. Again, these strategies require little to no advanced mathematical background, put they produce […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics, Parents
It Starts at Home:What Parents Can Do to Support Their High School Students in Advanced Mathematics (Part 2: In and Out-of-School Strategies)
In Part 1 of this article series, I suggested helping students to develop a new definition of “smartness” in mathematics. In Part 2, I will present some strategies that parents can implement both at home and with the support of their high schooler’s mathematics teacher. Again, these strategies require little to no advanced mathematical background, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
It Starts at Home: How Parents Can Support Their High School Students in Advanced Mathematics (Part 1: Rethinking Smartness)
“I’m always amazed that you are so good at math. I was so bad at it.” “You get the math gene from your father.” My mother has been known to say things of this nature to me when we discuss my career endeavors and future aspirations. Little does she know that she prepped me for success […]