Making Math Matter: Creating Structures That Support Teachers - Dr. Tonya Clarke

Today our guest is Dr. Tonya Clarke, Mathematics Coordinator in the Division of Teaching and Learning and Strategic Improvement at Clayton County Public Schools. We talk with Dr. Clarke about the crucial role of supporting teachers as they implement culturally responsive and sustaining mathematics practices. She explains how her team is providing onsite job-embedded professional development to help teachers apply the training to their classrooms. Dr. Clarke also discusses the various strategies they are using to support teachers across the 66 schools in the district, including math ambassadors, partnerships with colleges, and collaborative learning. Additionally, she shares some of the remarkable impacts that this work has on students' mathematics learning.

To learn more:

• Read Dr. Clarke's recent feature in Ed Week - Making Math Matter: A District Leader's Mission : https://www.edweek.org/leaders/2023/making-math-matter-a-district-leaders-mission

As a Mathematics Coordinator for Clayton County Public Schools with over 20 years of experience in education, Dr. Tonya Clarke has a laser focus on increasing achievement in mathematics for all students. Her team's work focuses on creating structures and establishing partnerships that support teachers with implementing widely accessible teaching practices. As founder of the I'm W.O.K.E. Project (Widening Options through Knowledge and Empowerment), Dr. Clarke and her team guide teachers through a process for developing and implementing culturally relevant and sustaining mathematics practices. I'm W.O.KE. Projects use highly accessible teaching practices that guide students through applying mathematical models to investigate social, economic, environmental, and political issues. As a consultant to several educational organizations she has had the opportunity to work with teachers and leaders around the world, most recently in Ghana, Malaysia, South Africa, and Singapore. Through her work in Clayton County, her consulting work, and her service with the NAACP, Dr. Clarke continues to cultivate critical consciousness. Her devotion to equitable learning environments and student empowerment motivates her to continue supporting strong implementation of equitable teaching practices and the development of programs that make math matter for every student every day.