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Mission Statement
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Math for America San Diego seeks to improve the learning and teaching of mathematics in regional high-need schools by providing professional development, mentoring and other forms of professional support to teachers and their districts.
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We are grateful to the organizations and individuals who support our work.
James B. Ax Family Foundation
Mara W. Breech Family Foundation
Barbara Bry and Neil Senturia Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation
Credit Suisse
Todd and Mari Gutschow Family Foundation
Joan and Irwin Jacobs Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation
Maggie and Paul Meyer
Viterbi Family Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation
Edward G. Wong Family Foundation
Math for America (National Office)
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Support MfA SD's 2014 Fundraising Campaign
Math for America San Diego is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with tax exempt status.
We welcome your support.
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Where We Teach: 2013-14
Map of Fellows' Schools
Carlsbad Unified School District
Carlsbad High School
Chula Vista Elementary School District
Arroyo Vista Charter School
Coronado Unified School District
Coronado High School
Escondido Union High School District
Escondido Community Day School
Orange Glen High School
Valley High School
Grossmont Union High School District
El Cajon Valley High School
Helix Charter High School
Oceanside Unified School District
El Camino High School
Oceanside High School
Poway Unified School District
Mount Carmel High School
San Diego Unified School District
Bethune Elementary and Middle School
High Tech High International
Kearny International Business School
La Jolla High School
Madison High School
Mira Mesa High School
Scripps Ranch High School
Wangenheim Middle School
San Dieguito Union High School District
Canyon Crest Academy
State of California
High Tech High Chula Vista
Sweetwater Union High School District
Olympian High School
Vista Unified School District
Guajome Park Academy
Madison Middle School
Rancho Buena Vista High School
Vista High School
Vista Magnet Middle School
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MfA SD Summer Institute
June 30 - July 16, 2014
UC San Diego
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From the Director
Dear Math for America San Diego Friend,
Months fly by and all of a sudden it's May! Math for America San Diego is in full gear, preparing for a big summer filled with mathematics opportunities for teachers and students alike.
This year we're turning our attention towards programs to strengthen mathematics education throughout the region. We're pleased to announce two new summer institutes and academies, staffed with MfA SD leadership and fellows who are excited to provide the latest in leading edge mathematics learning and teaching. In June, we're offering two summer institutes on the Common Core State Standards-Mathematics, one week for geometry and one week for algebra, to help middle and high school teachers around the county better understand and prepare for the new instructional standards. We're also excited to offer parents and students the UC San Diego Summer Math Academy for incoming 7th - 10th graders, starting July 21.
Our 33 Fellows and Master Teaching Fellows are working in 27 secondary schools across the region this academic year. The fellowship program continues to thrive, as fellows enrich their own math knowledge and expertise as teachers. MfA SD fellows presented at annual regional and national mathematics conferences, developed and implemented a new, accredited Math Tutor Corps for undergraduate outreach at UC San Diego, participated at the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering, and produced one of the more innovative and hands-on BE WiSE workshops we've offered to date. Explore some of this year's top accomplishments by fellows, including Master Teaching Fellow Trang Vu's $25,000 first place award for the Rosenthal Prize for Innovation in Math Teaching.
As we enter our sixth year, we're planning to expand our robust professional development services not only to teachers and students in our own region, but also to those who may not have access to high quality instructional support through new, customized online courses. With the help of our university consortium partners - California State University San Marcos, San Diego State University and UC San Diego - and our partner school districts, we're continuing to find new ways of broadening our impact for improved mathematics education. As always, we remain grateful to all our donors for their continued financial support of Math for America San Diego. Please keep in touch with us as we work towards deeper mathematics understanding in our region.
All the best,
Barbara Edwards
Executive Director
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| Teachers Kick off Summer with CCSS-Mathematics Institutes
Math teachers will get a hand up and a head start implementing the Common Core State Standards Mathematics (CCSS-M) in their classrooms at Math for America San Diego's "The Mathematical Practices of the Common Core State Standards with Geometry and Algebra" summer institutes starting June 16 and June 23, 2014. The weeklong sessions offer leading edge professional development support for middle and high school teachers who want to learn how to best integrate the new, state-mandated math practices for geometry and algebra instruction.
"This fall all math teachers in California are required to incorporate the eight mathematical practices of the CCSS-M into their lessons," said Dr. Guershon Harel, professor of mathematics for UC San Diego and director of professional development for MfA SD and the summer institute. "MfA SD has been ahead of the CCSS-M learning curve, offering area districts and their teachers a research-based professional development approach very much in line with CCSS-M learning and teaching. Our work centers on making the connection between mathematical content, the inherent intellectual need of the student, and CCSS-M practices. MfA SD is a leading resource for high quality, effective professional development for teachers in our region."
The one-week summer institutes are June 16 - 20 and June 23 - 27, 2014, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UC San Diego. The cost is $575 per session. Registration is limited to 30 teachers per session. Department teams are encouraged to attend together. UC San Diego Extension credit is available for an additional fee. For more information and to download a registration form click here.
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| Do the Math (and have some fun!) at UC San Diego's Summer Math Academy
Bored at the beach? Love to do puzzles and math games? Or a little nervous about next year's math class? If you're a middle or high school student - or know someone who is - consider spending five mornings this July sharpening your math skills and getting that extra boost before heading into a new school year.
Join Math for America San Diego at UC San Diego's Summer Math Academy, where students work in groups to solve intriguing mathematics problems while strengthening their math content knowledge and problem-solving skills. The one-week programs are held on the UC San Diego campus from 9 a.m. to noon and start July 21 - 25 for incoming seventh and eighth graders, and July 28 - Aug. 1 for incoming ninth and tenth graders. Four MfA SD fellows currently teaching in area middle and high schools lead the classes. Each session is limited to 32 students for an 8:1 student to teacher ratio. The cost is $225. Download a registration flyer and apply today.
"There is a tremendous need in San Diego for summer math support programs for middle and high school students," said Barbara Edwards, MfA SD executive director. "We were astounded at the overwhelming response to our 2012 Summer Math Academy at Helix Charter High School. We're very excited to be able offer these high-quality academies again."
The UC San Diego Summer Math Academy curriculum supports the new Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) for algebra and geometry, and the eight mathematical practices, and will help prepare students for their next math course. The MfA SD-designed Summer Math Academy advocates a research-based approach to teaching middle and high school math developed by Dr. Guershon Harel, professor of mathematics at UC San Diego. Sessions focus on how students think about mathematics problems. They will learn how to communicate their thinking process and understand other students' approaches. For more information, download a flyer, check out our Facebook page or contact us.
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| Fellows Take Honors for Math Achievements
The Math for America San Diego fellowship recipients are a group of highly accomplished mathematics teachers dedicated to improving student understanding and achievement in middle and high school mathematics. Our fellows continually reach beyond their classrooms to become better mathematics educators and leaders. This year we celebrate the outstanding achievements of three MfA SD fellows.
 Trang Vu #BrilliantCreativeWinner
MfA SD Master Teaching Fellow Trang Vu was the first place winner of the 2013 Rosenthal Prize for Innovation in Math Teaching, sponsored by the National Museum of Mathematics. The award recognizes exceptional, hands-on math instruction by a teacher who uses innovative teaching methods appropriate to the upper elementary or middle school classroom. Vu received a $25,000 cash prize for her lesson plan, "Mathematics in Fashion Design - Circle Skirts."
"Trang is a highly motivated and creative mathematics teacher, whose intellect is matched only by her dedication to helping students understand mathematics," said Barbara Edwards, MfA SD executive director. "She is a hard worker and fantastic role model for our new teachers. We're thrilled she won this prestigious award." Read more.
 Brian Shay #InspirationLeadershipIntelligence
When Brian Shay is not teaching AP Calculus and Linear Algebra at Canyon Crest Academy, or providing yearlong mentoring leadership for MfA SD, you can find him somewhere, somehow helping to strengthen mathematics education for students, teachers and the mathematics community at large. Now he has two new honors to add to his (long) list of professional accomplishments - selection as 2014 MIT Inspirational Teacher of the Year and his appointment to the College Board's SAT Subject Mathematics Test Development Committee.
"We're honored to have Brian serve as a Mentor Fellow for MfA SD," Edwards said. "He is an extraordinary mathematics teacher dedicated to both inspiring his own students and sharing his mathematical expertise on a much larger scale. He's a force to be reckoned with; we continue to be astonished by the depth of his work." Read more.
 Gregory Guayante #ExcellenceDistinctionHighAchiever
After successful completion of the rigorous and highly regarded National Board Certification process, MfA SD Master Teaching Fellow Gregory Guayante is now a National Board Certified Teacher.
"National Board Certification was a challenging goal that made me reflect on my teaching in very specific ways. It was an invaluable exercise as a mathematics teacher," Guayante said. "The national board showed me how to make my reflection and writing meaningful to student learning, and how to develop my teaching as a lifelong learner." Guayante received the designation in November.
"Greg is an exceptionally gifted teacher, with a strong commitment to his students and his community," Edwards said. "We are delighted he has achieved national board certification, an extraordinary accomplishment reflecting the quality of his mathematics teaching." Read more.
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Leading Scholar Shares Outlook on CCSS-M at Advisory Council Meeting
With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and its soon-to-be-determined impact on mathematics education, MfA SD was pleased to host Dr. Patrick W. Thompson as the keynote speaker at the 2014 MfA SD Advisory Council Meeting on January 15 at the UC San Diego Faculty Club.
Thompson, a Professor of Mathematics Education at the School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences at Arizona State University, provided an overview on the current state of U.S. math education and implications of the new Common Core State Standards-Mathematics (CCSS-M) reform on the nation's educational system.
MfA SD partner district superintendents, consortium university faculty and deans, community advisory council members and MfA SD fellows attended the program's sixth annual dinner meeting.
In his presentation, Thompson asserted that the CCSS-M reform, although a long way from bringing the U.S. up to international standards, is a definite step forward in raising the quality of national mathematics education. The new standards have a focus on the underlying mathematical meaning. Thompson highlighted results from a recent study of 250 high school mathematics teachers showing a large percentage of the group having "very weak meanings" and a large percentage who are unprepared "at this moment" to teach curricula that reflect the CCSS-M. Thompson proposes investment of significant resources in mathematical preparation of teachers and in mathematics teachers' professional development but "not in mathematical preparation and professional development as it is done now."
Despite these findings, Thompson is optimistic about the adoption of the new math standards. "Before the CCSS-M, people did not believe that meanings matter, but they have mattered always," he said. "With the implementation of the standards, mathematical meaning - both the teachers' and students' - must now be discussed, because teaching and learning the CCSS-M necessitates a focus on meaning. The problem of meaning is systemic and cultural, requiring many communities to address the issue, including university mathematics departments. With the CCSS-M, there is now a reason to do so."
Before Thompson took to the podium, MfA SD Master Teaching Fellow Trang Vu, first place winner of the 2013 National Museum of Mathematics Rosenthal Prize for Innovation in Math Teaching, shared her experiences preparing her award-winning lesson plan for the mathematics teaching competition.
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 Duane Roth served as a founding member of the MfA SD Advisory Council Board from 2008 until his untimely death in August 2013. Duane understood the critical need for quality mathematics education in our region and the importance of community involvement in supporting local education initiatives. As the CEO of CONNECT, Duane was a vital link between MfA SD's university consortium and the corporate world, introducing us to key people and companies he believed would help us to develop and grow. We will miss his energy, his dedication and his friendship.
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The Mathematics of Money - BE WiSE Girls Put Real-World Math Skills to Work
 Trying to decide if you can afford the Ferrari or Smart car? The estate or condo? You may want to ask one of the 32 middle and high school girls who attended a hands-on mathematics workshop February 1 at UC San Diego.
The Mathematics of Money is a financial literacy project developed and taught by Math for America San Diego fellows and banking experts from Credit Suisse. The two organizations teamed up for a second time to host the event for alumnae members of BE WiSE (Better Education for Women in Science and Engineering). The workshop is a financial nuts and bolts primer with a twist: middle and high school girls explore information often considered dry and irrelevant by engaging in a variety of fun and interactive learning activities.
The workshop showcases the importance of using mathematics knowledge and skills in making better financial management decisions, "a real plus as BE WiSE girls prepare for college and beyond," said Barbara Edwards, executive director for Math for America San Diego (MfA SD).
"With each MfA SD-designed workshop for BE WiSE, we build activities that demonstrate the importance of mathematics in everyday life. Math is an area of critical need for all areas of STEM, and learning financial management basics is a great way for students to use mathematical knowledge," Edwards said. "We are delighted to once again partner with Credit Suisse to present this popular and informative financial literacy workshop for BE WiSE." Read more.
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Save the Date for MfA SD Fall Fundraiser October 15
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Glen Whitney, co-director of MoMath, UC San Diego Associate Professor Brian Keating, Andrew Viterbi of the Viterbi Family Foundation, MfA SD Mentor Fellow Brian Shay and Cindy Lawrence, co-director of MoMath at the 2013 Fall Fundraiser.
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Mark your calendar and plan to join us this year at the MfA SD annual fall fundraiser, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014 at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The 2013 event featured guest speaker Dr. Glen Whitney, founder and co-executive director of the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) in New York. Guests enjoyed a beautiful reception overlooking the pacific and mingled with MfA SD fellows. For more information about this year's fundraiser, please contact us.
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MfA SD Fellows Leslee Howe, Tiana Tebelman, Yvette Henry, Yekaterina Milvidskaia, Robin Dobashi, Gregory Guayante and Erin Berry.
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