Does wokeness not add up to you?

If you think 2 + 2 = 4, you might just be a sick oppressive b*st*rd.

As reported by The American Conservative, the Seattle public school system is teaching kids that math is more than numbers and objective reality. It’s also about, well, I’ll let the curriculum tell you.

The AC’s article links to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction site, which lists its mission as follows:

The goal of Washington’s K–12 education system is to prepare every student for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement. Led by Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K–12 education in Washington state. Working with the state’s 295 public school districts and 6 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.

And how do they “prepare” students?

A “K-12 Math Ethnic Studies Framework” curriculum page posted in August reveals that it covers “Origins, Identity, and Agency,” defined as the following:

Origins, Identity and Agency, as defined by ethnic studies, is the ways in which we view ourselves as mathematicians and members of broader mathematical communities. Mathematical theory and application is rooted in the ancient histories of people and empires of color. All human endeavors include mathematical thinking; from humanities to the arts to the sciences.

Or, as MyNorthwest puts it, the syllabus “explains math as a racist study used to oppress students — and if you correct a student’s faulty math logic, you’re guilty.”

Another theme of the outline — Power and Oppression:

Power and oppression, as defined by ethnic studies, are the ways in which individuals and groups define mathematical knowledge so as to see “Western” mathematics as the only legitimate expression of mathematical identity and intelligence. This definition of legitimacy is then used to disenfranchise people and communities of color. This erases the historical contributions of people and communities of color.

Here are the theme’s “learning targets”:

SWBAT analyze the ways in which ancient mathematical knowledge has been appropriated by Western culture.

SWBAT identify how the development of mathematics has been erased from learning in school.

SWBAT identify how math has been and continues to be used to oppress and marginalize people and communities of color.

SWBAT explain how math and technology and/or science are connected and how technology and/or science have been and continues to be used to oppress and marginalize people and communities of color.

SWBAT critique systems of power that deny access to mathematical knowledge to people and communities of color.

SWBAT identify the inherent inequities of the standardized testing system used to oppress and marginalize people and communities of color.

SWBAT explain how math has been used to exploit natural resources.

SWBAT explain how math dictates economic oppression.

The theme of History of Resistance and Liberation, which explores “the stories, places, and people who helped liberate people and communities of color using math, engineering, and technology,” offers more of the same.

Finally, the curriculum’s Reflection and Action theme celebrates “a sense of advocacy, empowerment, and action in the students that creates internal motivation to engage in and contribute to their identities as mathematicians. Students will be confident in their ability to construct & decode mathematical knowledge, truth, and beauty so they can contribute to their experiences and the experiences of people in their community.”

This isn’t Seattle’s first move toward UltraWoke education. In 2006, as relayed by Seattle Weekly, the school system declared an official definition of racism to teach students:

The systematic subordination of members of targeted racial groups who have relatively little social power in the United States (Blacks, Latinos/as, Native Americans, and Asians), by members of the agent racial group who have relatively more social power (Whites). The subordination is supported by the actions of individuals, cultural norms and values, and the institutional structures and practices of society.

So there ya go.

If you wanna get educated these days, you gotta go way beyond reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. Or, possibly, around them.

When it comes to math, you’re never going to get there ’til you realize White = Evil.

-ALEX

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