The War Against Dummy Math: How seven school districts changed U.S. education by embracing algebra for all

This is the story of a few inspired individuals who challenged the conventional wisdom of their day by insisting that all ninth graders can and should take Algebra I including minorities often put in Dummy Math courses. Jay Mathews, one of the nation s leading education journalists, describes the uphill struggle of a few determined individuals who created the Equity 2000 Project a national effort to demonstrate the advantages of having every ninth grader take Algebra I. Challenging an assumption that minority and economically disadvantaged students would not be able to succeed, the leaders of this effort set the country on a path to giving millions of children more math and science, while increasing college attendance by disadvantaged students.