Teachers at the High School of Telecommunication Arts & Technology in Brooklyn are struggling to teach the city’s new math curriculum. (Credit: Leonardo Bevilacqua)
The New York City Department of Education (DOE) is set to release updated guidelines for Illustrative Mathematics, its controversial new math curriculum, following widespread confusion during the initial rollout.
Some teachers and principals have reported that the curriculum was enforced rigidly, with educators reporting threats of disciplinary action for veering off prescribed routines. This has created significant challenges, particularly for those teaching algebra to special education students, as well as for teachers working with newly arrived migrant students who have limited English proficiency.
“A skilled teacher knows how to adjust instruction so that every student has the support they need to understand the material and succeed in the class,” said DOE spokesperson Nicole Brownstein, adding that the confusing launch was regrettable and that school leaders should look out for updated instructions in the near future.
Special education teachers, already struggling to help students pass algebra, have faced new hurdles with the arrival of 40,000 migrant students since July 2022. Citywide, there has been a 12% increase in English language learners at a beginner’s level from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2022-2023 school year.
The new math curriculum has been hard to navigate for migrant students who are trying to remember basic words in English. And the city’s current directive that their teachers should coordinate with English-as-new-language (ENL) instructors is proving ineffective at meeting these students’ needs.
“We are redirected to ENL teachers, who aren’t teaching kids in the math setting, and also don’t see that curriculum every day,” said a five-year veteran special educator who teaches algebra at the High School of Telecommunication Arts & Technology in Brooklyn. The teacher requested anonymity due to fears of retaliation. “So I have been giving students things here and there: ‘Try this, try that.’”
She teaches in an inclusion classroom, mixing students with and without language barriers and learning disabilities. Being one of the few Spanish-speaking instructors at her school, it’s not unusual for extra students to end up in her classroom throughout the year. She estimated that about 60% of her students need personal attention.
Relying heavily on word problems, Illustrative Mathematics lessons have become overwhelming for some teachers. “It is not very student-friendly, it’s not tailored at all for an English language learner,” the Brooklyn special educator said, adding that some math lessons have effectively turned into English classes. Sometimes, she has to eliminate parts of a lesson entirely.
The only guideline that teachers with English language learners get from Illustrative Mathematics is a blurb that reads: “Speaking Stronger and Clearer Each Time. Use this routine to give students a structured opportunity to revise and refine their response to the final question. Ask each student to meet with 2-3 other partners in a row for feedback.”
As a former English language learner herself raised in public schools, the Brooklyn special education teacher said she feels a sense of déjà vu. But with more immigrant students arriving now than ever before, she questioned the timing of the new curriculum.
“I’m pretty sure these orders did come from higher up,” she said, adding that last year, the principal and assistant principal “hammered us about the lesson plans.”
“If I knew that my assistant principal was going to walk around, I would definitely try to use more IM [Illustrative Mathematics] things than my previously-made materials,” said a former teacher from the same Brooklyn high school.
The principal at High School of Telecommunication Arts & Technology did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails. The school’s assistant principal overseeing special education also did not respond to messages.
Long-time math teachers in New York City public schools are speaking out, lending credence to the concerns of the untenured and new to the profession.
Bobson Wang, a 19-year veteran math instructor and author of the textbook “Practical Algebra,” said he sees why the DOE might have wanted to implement Illustrative Mathematics.
“It makes things a lot easier for administrators because now with one curriculum mandate, they know what everyone should be on,” he said. “But just because it’s easier for administrators doesn’t mean that it’s better for students or teachers. And at the end of the day, the people that will get the blame will be the teachers.”
About the author(s)
Leonardo Bevilacqua is a past contributor of news features to The Christian Science Monitor where he covered culture and society.