Hi Shabnam! Thanks for your comment.. I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean by "aspects of culture"... if you have a moment to check out any of our Voice videos that would help to give a fuller sense of what we are aiming to address through this alliance. Thank you!

Hi Danielle! Thanks for your comment-- glad you appreciated the links. The impact that we see in students, teachers, schools, communities reach far beyond test scores. Classroom communities throughout the alliance are stepping up to bring change to the traditionally unchallenged and ineffective models of math (and STEM) education. We see this through the math literacy work that students themselves are actively engaged in (see The Young People's Project for more information) as well as the renewed sense of community and purpose in education from teachers and students alike. We look forward to more documentation and evaluation to measure the effectiveness of this work in the years to come. Thank you!

Hello Marcus, thanks for the YPP link! It's great to see students engage peers and others by serving as math literacy workers. 

You're welcome Danielle! Here's a video that captures the work of YPP as they are building a national tournament structure to play a math-centered physical game called Flagway that was developed through the work of young people in YPP and The Algebra Project. This took place in 2017 at the National Math Festival in Washington, D.C. and hopefully will returning again to the NMF in 2019.

Thanks Whitney! There are various approaches to change that the work of alliance is considering.

Within the classroom and the current educational system in general, we are working to create change through curriculum/pedagogy shifts, engaging students in math literacy work after school, engaging teachers in the rethinking/design of quality math instruction, as well as other ways.

Outside of the classroom, we are working primarily through community organizing and helping communities to see the value of math literacy as well as fighting against the school/societal structures that keep our most marginalized students from receiving a quality education.

The biggest challenge that is facing all of this work (even beyond the scope of the "We the People" alliance and all STEM focused efforts that are particularly aimed to raise the floor within our country) is the systemic forms of oppression that currently impede our very best efforts as well-intentioned educators in the current educational landscape. The system is broken and the biggest challenge to fixing it is understanding the need to work toward a new solution. Would love to hear your thoughts on this-- thanks!

Hi Marcus! 

I agree with you whole heartedly. I think that oppression, inequality, and racism are all major obstacles to raising the floor and until we make systemic changes, problems will always exist. I also think that programs like We the People are a great way to make progress on a more micro and local level until broader change occurs. I admire your work and your approach!

Appreciate your comments Jay! I love the insights that you came away with and I think you are right on.

The alliance is based on many decades of work on behalf of many (including but certainly not limited to Bob Moses and the Algebra Project) who have been approaching this systems issue from a variety of ways and drawing on multiple constituencies to bring about a real solution to building math literacy for our most marginalized students in our country. For example, teachers, school/district administrators, university partners, community organizers, other educational organizations, and last but not least young people themselves have been taking up the question of whether we are going to truly be a "We the People"-- fighting for all people to truly live free and be all that we can be.

We are standing upon the belief that in order to change the system that is failing so many of our students we need to engage the whole system and approach it from more than just an inside-out classroom/teaching standpoint and rather take on an outside-in or rather as Bob Moses puts it a "bottom-up" approach. Would love to hear your thoughts on this-- thanks!

Right on thanks Jay! Any particular sources you're familiar with or could recommend? Thank you!

Thank you William! What I hear in your story that I hear in so many of my friends/families/colleagues stories is that the system of education didn't change you but rather the educators who were passionate about what they do and who they serve really made a lasting impact and difference in your life. The "We the People" Alliance is working to bring the focus back onto the people and to see what we can collectively do when we focus on creating change together and hopefully affect the system to produce more teachers who are free to teach so that students are free to learn-- truly striving for a system that makes STEM for All a reality.

I also hear that you appreciated Mr. Wales for his critical practice and pedagogy where the level of intention and thoughtfulness behind his grading and instruction meant so much to you and your learning. As educators and supporters of educators, we have to be so much more critical of our practice and pedagogy-- simply doing the level of thoughtful work that we ask of students each and every day.

STEM For All is a nice idea but unless we who are in power take a deep look in the mirror about the work that we do and for whom it most benefits, we cannot truly realize a world where STEM is truly for All. Would love to hear your follow up comments/thoughts on this William- thank you for sharing your story!