What should public schools look for in a math teacher?

Springfield Public Schools in western Massachusetts is advertising a middle school special education math teaching position that lists ideological activism as a preferred qualification.

The parental rights organization Defending Education was first to report on the matter.

The job posting, published last month, states that preferred candidates would have “experience as an active anti-racist, LGBTQ+ advocate, or organizer for equity.” The listing also emphasizes the use of “anti-racist instructional practices that ensure students own the learning.”

In addition to professional qualifications, the posting includes language encouraging applications from individuals who identify as members of “historically marginalized groups,” including “people of color, women, people from working class backgrounds, and people who identify as LGBTQ.”

The listing states that such groups are “less likely to apply unless and until they meet every requirement for a job,” and says the district “strongly encourage[s] applications from educators with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.”

Facebook users mocked the position on Defending Education's post.

One man wrote, "You know, when doing equations for electrical engineering, I always wondered: the EQUAL SIGN may be convenient, but what we really need for energy calculations and circuit design is an EQUITY SIGN."

Another man added, "Kids need to be educated not indoctrinated."

Additionally, a third man commented, "I appreciate their marketing for homeschooling."

The position is part of the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership, a program launched in 2015 involving Springfield Public Schools, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Springfield Education Association (which is the local public schools teachers union).

Schools in the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership are part of Springfield Public Schools. However, they are governed by an independent board through a partnership involving the district, state, and the teachers' union, giving administrators broader control over operations in exchange for increased accountability for student outcomes, according to the partnership‘s web site.

The partnership aims to improve outcomes for students in 16 middle schools and high schools, and prioritizes “equity and anti-racism,” according to the job description. The district says it cares about this item because of what it describes as “systemic oppression our students and families encounter daily.”

The posting says that schools within the empowerment zone are “held accountable for realizing achievement gains for historically marginalized students” and are expected to work toward “anti-racist school communities.”

Springfield, the third-largest city in Massachusetts, has more than 150,000 people, and is located in the southern part of the state's Pioneer Valley region – not far from the state's border with Connecticut. Its public schools serve more than 23,500 students, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Springfield is a poor city. Its median household income is $51,339 a year, which is the lowest among Massachusetts municipalities with more than 10,000 people. Additionally, student academic performance in the district lags behind statewide averages.

Springfield Public Schools high school students received an average score of 865 on the SAT (out of 1600) in the 2023-2024 school year, one of the lowest marks in the state, state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data shows. The statewide average score in the same data set was 1127.

Springfield Public Schools superintendent Sonia Dinnall could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Nor could a spokesman for the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership.