Jefferson County’s ‘Black Math Genius’ Program Generates Controversy

 

 

Jefferson County Perspective’s Barbara Fuller speaks in opposition to the program

Jefferson County, WV (KB) The Black Math Genius program is a program aimed to help black students enhance their math skills.

The Jefferson County Board of Education approved two new positions that will help aid the program during a special meeting on Wednesday night.

Jefferson County Perspective’s Barbara Fuller spoke in opposition.

“There are a lot of people who are definitely against this program and I have to say, they’re not all just white people. I mean the fact of the matter is is that what the Board of Education is doing is they are putting a wedge between our children.”

Fuller said she believes students are struggling due to changes in the county’s math curriculum. “Our kids are confused and it doesn’t matter if you’re white or if you’re black. They’ve changed the way they do math and our kids just don’t get it,” she stated.

She also had thoughts specifically about the Black Math Genius program. “I looked at the program itself and the basics of the program seems pretty interesting if you take out the race portion of it,” she said. “This math is probably the way I learned it. If they are going back to, if you look at their program, they go back to the specifics of actually memorizing times tables, which is something that doesn’t happen anymore.”

The Black Math Genius program will be open to all students, regardless of race. Jefferson County is looking at taking legal action against the program.

The positions approved by the Board of Education will go into effect on June 10th, 2021.