(Pictures from @MrsHein1, an elementary teacher in San Marcos Unified School District)

Learning about equity issues in mathematics isn’t exclusive to those who can try out a mathematician project with their students. TODOS: Mathematics for All is an organization that strives to support excellence and equity in mathematics. Resources include published position statements, book studies, Twitter chats on the position statements, and ideas to support your work in the classroom for students and coaching teachers. Membership to this national mathematics education organization is not required to gain access to a multitude of resources, but it does come at a bargain price if you’re interested in supporting the ongoing work and getting access to additional resources.

I encourage you to take the step in learning and listening to promote equity. Read that book you purchased, but may not have had the time to read, have that conversation with a colleague or teammate, or try out your first lesson focused on social justice. Consider participating in the SDCOE Equity team's upcoming learning opportunities, including a conversation with Black educators and the student voices series. We have an immense opportunity to grow here — take advantage of it.

We have redesigned professional networks for TK-12 math coaches, teachers on special assignment, and specialists to fit the needs of our community and our busy schedules! There will be two online meetings each month: A 20-minute Math Leaders Burst and a 60-minute Math Leaders Network discussion. Both will work to deepen our understanding and practices with a math routine, instructional practice, or lesson design element so that we can continue to support math teachers in our schools and districts. Linked with the same topic, the bursts will be short, interactive, and recorded for folks who are unable to join at the scheduled time, while the network discussion will be our opportunity to dive deeper into design practices or principles, share best practices, and learn from each other. Want more information? Email Audrey Mendivil or Mark Alcorn.

Join a local group of educators virtually at 4 p.m. Sept. 25 for some community building and networking. It includes a 30-minute, virtual, rich-task lesson lab modeled by Nicole McClymonds and Jenn Carr from La Mirada Academy in San Marcos, followed by breakout discussions to connect and share ideas with other San Diego County teachers. RSVP to get the calendar invite with Zoom link.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is celebrating its centennial with 100 days of professional learning. The 60-minute, live and on-demand webinars highlight a variety of speakers and topics, running on selected days between April and October.

The California Math Council (CMC) Conference is going virtual this year for both the CMC South and the CMC North conferences, with a selection of live and pre-recorded sessions of speakers. This year, registration for both conferences will be on one form. You can register for one or both conferences and have access to the materials for 90 days after each conference. Registration includes a complimentary one-year CMC membership and discounted pricing means you can attend one conference for $90 or both for only $120. Don't miss additional discounts for members and student teachers.

Find the latest math professional learning opportunities and resources on SDCOE’s math webpage.

California Curriculum Collaborative is a partnership between CalCurriculum and the California Department of Education (CDE) to support re-imagining your math adoption. Based on the specific needs and designs in California, this free support includes developing a high-quality process that fits the needs of your district. Check out their resources, research, and events here.

The California Mathematics Framework is currently being revised. To date, chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, and 10 have been read and discussed with possible suggestions forwarded to the writers. At the upcoming Sept. 23-24 meeting, the team will be discussing chapters 3, 6, and 7. To stay informed on the progress of the framework revision, visit 2021 Revision of the Mathematics Framework.

Mathematics, Policy, and Leadership Network 

Interested in learning more about policy news and events? Join a new network at SDCOE. For more information about the Mathematics, Policy, and Leadership Network, contact Mindy Shacklett.

In collaboration with California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, SDCOE has developed integrated and thematic units of study, designed for flexible use in a variety of distance and in-person learning situations. Based on essential understandings in every content area, these units can be used to accelerate learning for students while ensuring access to all content areas. Learn more about these free and open source units at bit.ly/SDCOE-Learn.

These grants are available to local educators and have been modified to be reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis to better support teachers in implementing distance/remote learning. From integrating technology, to providing manipulatives, to supporting access and equity for all students - GSDMC has a grant or scholarship for you.

Get support to involve families and communities in fun, interactive, exciting math activities, such as hosting an appropriately physically-distanced math festival. This scholarship can help to cover the costs. Applications are ongoing.

Download an informational flyer. Teachers can visit the DonorsChoose website to apply, and also view the matched projects at DonorsChoose.org/SDGE. The match program will run until funds are exhausted or through Dec. 31.

North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union, invites all San Diego area teachers who have a class project idea to apply for a grant through its biannual Teacher Grant Program. Any full-time classroom teacher in San Diego County can apply. The program is designed to assist educators in funding innovative learning opportunities, including programs to support their students during distance learning. Ten grants of $500 each will be awarded in November. The application deadline is Oct. 2. Visit ccu.com/teachergrant for more details and to apply.

If you don’t look at the publication date too closely, you might think that Dena Simmons wrote this article in the last few months for ASCD, but she actually published Why We Can’t Afford to Whitewash Social-Emotional Learning in April 2019. An opportunity to carefully examine the intersections of our needs for social-emotional learning in the context of our current civil rights movement - this article offers specific strategies to consider in moving forward to support our students social-emotional learning while acknowledging the sociopolitical context we live in.

The July blog post from Just Equations on Despite Lost Time, Keep Learning Moving Forward provides a timely argument for considering an alternative to traditional assessments of students’ need for remediation. An opportunity to reconsider how we measure what students know, and what they’ve learned since we saw them last - this read begs us to be considerate on how we measure “learning loss.”

A study by New Classrooms on middle school math and the need for teaching beyond the grade-level standards (below and above) discusses how assessment and accountability policies cause learning gaps in math to persist below the surface. Check out the Iceberg Problem Executive Summary, or read more about the Iceberg Problem here.

Changing how the public perceives math has been one of the greatest challenges math teachers and leaders have faced in the last 10 years. Two organizations, in particular, are working diligently to bring math into a favorable, fun, and creative spotlight — Public Math and Math Happens.

Public Math works on the premise that every person is a math person, and math thinking can be provoked in interesting and unexpected places. Currently, their postcard project is helping to deliver math to everyone’s neighborhood and their iOS stickers brings math to life in every social media post. Check out their website for more projects and ideas or their store to start sending your own postcards.

Math Happens is similarly working toward promoting math literacy and thinking into public places and spaces. From their Just Add Math project to their many resources, Math Happens seeks to bring out the math that is inherent, but often hidden, in public places. Check out their regular blog post for additional ideas in bringing math to your families and communities.

Contact Christina Fekas-Gorman with questions or comments about The Sum of It All newsletter.