No Time Like the Present: Reflecting on Equity in School Mathematics

Mathematics education has traditionally paid little attention to teacher reflection about equity. In this article, we argue that the time has come to move equity from the margins to the mainstream in mathematics education and make it a focus of teacher reflection. To illustrate the need for a focus on equity, we describe the beliefs of a group of high school mathematics teachers. We argue that the teachers' views of equity and race blocked substantive reflection about the nature of their instructional practices and the impact of those practices on students of color in their classes. We submit that this case is important because it highlights some of the assumptions that must be challenged in an effort to promote the kind of reflective practice that can contribute to the realization of opportunity to learn school mathematics.