This is the first episode of a two-part series featuring Dr. Jelani Nelson. He is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UC Berkeley. Dr. Nelson, and other STEM leaders, have publicly raised concerns about the proposed California Math Framework (CMF). In this episode, much of the discussion surrounds the CMF’s promotion of data science and changes to math requirements in the University of California system.

Anna Stokke and Jelani Nelson discuss what sort of math is needed for a data science degree and the crucial role of Algebra II in preparing students for careers in STEM. Jelani explains the circumstances surrounding the emergence of two high school data science courses that have been marketed as substitutes for Algebra II, despite containing minimal math content. He also addresses the claim that the CMF is equity-based. They wrap up the episode by discussing what happened when he retweeted a post about a prominent math educator charging a school district $5000 an hour in consulting fees.