I am honored to be attending the 2022 Small School District’s Association annual conference! 

As alumni of a small California school district, I know firsthand how impactful school districts can be within their communities. I grew up in Stockton, CA, and attended school in Lincoln Unified School District from Kindergarten through high school. The Lincoln community is very tight-knit, and families all across town want to live in the district to send their children to LUSD schools.

One of the reasons LUSD is so successful is due to their ability to connect with the communities they serve. LUSD does it all, from Special Olympics unified sports teams, to free meals for all students, to science camp. Parents know when their kids enter the school system, they will be supported until they walk across the stage at Lincoln High School with a diploma in hand.

As district leaders, providing so many opportunities and initiatives for families and staff means your plate is always full, and you may not have the bandwidth to dig deep into researching solutions and partners in all arenas. At Magma Math, we work with small districts and charter organizations to provide high-quality instructional materials for mathematics, making the process easy and enjoyable. We help schools move towards more innovative, cutting-edge technological resources that ensure accessibility and inclusion of all learners in the math classroom.

We recognize that one of the biggest challenges that districts are facing is the student mental health crisis, exacerbated by several years of distance learning. Schools are looking for ways to support social-emotional learning (SEL), and generally focusing on student wellness and holistic approaches to student care. Districts that use Magma Math have access to teacher training that promotes student-centered math classrooms; while lowering math anxiety and building confidence for all students to share their brilliance each day.

I echo the sentiments of the great Dr. Robert Berry, who said,

“We have to think of mathematics as community work.”

And so, community, I hope you’ll meet us at SSDA. If you cannot attend SSDA, we would be happy to book a meeting to talk about how we can make math a community work, and enhance students’ learning experiences in mathematics to be one that elevates their voice.