BlogPosts – The Other Math

Getting math education right

ARTICLE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lindadarlinghammond/2025/06/28/its-time-to-change-the-math-calculus-how-the-us-can-finally-get-math-education-right/ This article by Linda Darling-Hammond on Forbes highlights a significant crisis in mathematics education within the United States, pointing to low PISA scores and a widespread fear of math among students, leading to labor shortages in technical fields. Darling-Hamond highlights the need for comprehensive reform, drawing comparisons with high-achieving countries like Singapore, Japan, […]

Access to meaningful mathematics is a civil right

The vision of our math team at the Merced County Office of Education comes straight from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: Every students is “enthused by mathematics, sees the value and beauty of mathematics, and is empowered by the opportunities mathematics affords.” In this post, I want to focus on the last part […]

ARTICLE: What math do students need to know before entering college?

AB 1705 is about to fully go into effect. I hear you snoring already. Talking about legislation is very rarely interesting. But this time it is very relevant to all students who think they may go to a community college after high school. According to AB 1705, the lowest math course that can be offered […]

ARTICLE: California poorly trains and supports teaching math

Take a moment to read the article linked below. Bottom line: California’s elementary math teachers are entering the classroom underprepared — lacking sufficient subject-matter and instructional training — just as the state mandates more rigorous and concept-focused math teaching statewide. Some main points the are really sticking with me… The National Council on Teacher Quality […]

What Alabama and Wisconsin can teach us about math instruction

It seems like since the very inception of public education in the United States, we have been grappling with what good math instruction should look like. For example, in 1895 John Dewey wrote, “There is no subject taught in the elementary schools that taxes the teacher’s resources as to methods and devices to a greater extent […]

A roadmap for improving math instruction

In this time of state testing, many educators are focusing on how to improve their math scores…and rightly so. Rather than focusing on improving scores, let’s focus on improving mathematics instruction. The scores will take care of themselves. So…how do we improve math instruction? In this blog, I’ll share the six steps for improving math […]

Demystifying University Admissions: High School Mathematics Courses and California’s Area C

There are lots of exciting (terrifying?) changes going on in the world of high school mathematics. I have written about some of them here. Mathematics pathways that meet the needs of the 21st century student A-G completion requirements High school courses that prepare students for community college (AB 1705) I encourage you to read this new article from […]

What would you do with $20 million?

“What would you do with $20 million?” That was the question they asked me as we walked to our cars after a meeting at the end of the day. Trips to the Bahamas or purchasing a new guitar were out of the question because the $20 million in question was for the Mathematics Professional Learning Partnership (MPLP) […]

Updating math instruction like doctors update their practices

Nearly two years ago the California Department of Education released the revised version of the California Mathematics Framework (CMF). The CMF is a guidance document every 7-10 years to support high-quality mathematics instruction aligned with the Common Core State Standards. It provides research-based recommendations for curriculum design, instructional strategies, and assessment practices that promote equitable learning opportunities […]

Category: BlogPosts