Interrogating the Quiet Spaces in Our Math Classrooms

Full Session Description:

Inspired by a quote from Amanda Gorman’s 2021 inauguration poem, “The Hill We Climb,” this talk encourages educators to disrupt status quo by first interrogating even the quietest forms of injustice found in our math classrooms. Dionne shares her own math experience as a “quiet” student, and makes an urgent call for teachers to recognize Black brilliance and trust all students to engage in grade-level mathematics.

Speaker Bio:

Dionne  Aminata founded MathTrust™in 2020, after more than 20 years as an educator. MathTrust™ partners with PreK-12 math educators ready to counter the current narrative of predictable disparate achievement outcomes for Black students by using actionable, research-based  methods that allow teachers to recognize Black brilliance and trust all students to engage in grade-level mathematics.

As a Lead Author at Illustrative Mathematics, Dionne led the work of embedding curricular supports for culturally responsive teachers, and successfully supported LAUSD’s curriculum implementation. As IM's Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives she oversaw market  research and outreach to districts implementing IM curricula.

Since 2022 she has advised the CCSSO Math Collaborative, a network of state math leaders dedicated to affecting change in systems and policies in order to promote mathematics as a subject for all students. In 2023, Dionne was appointed to the Board at NCSM, which  has a mission to support, sustain, and inspire high quality mathematics teaching and learning by engaging and empowering math leaders.