California Educators Convene in Kern County to Advance Math Instruction

The Math Professional Learning Partnership (MPLP) Statewide Convening, which began Tuesday at Bell Tower Plaza and City Centre in downtown Bakersfield, is more than just a professional development conference. The three-day event, hosted by KCSOS, brings together education stakeholders from 11 curriculum and instruction regions to explore a shift in how mathematics is taught and how educators are prepared to teach it across California.

Attendees include members of the California Mathematics Project and representatives from county offices of education across California. Together, they are exploring modules designed to help academic coaches and administrators lead systems-level change in mathematics. The modules provide foundational training on the California Math Framework and establish common learning language.

The MPLP is supported by a $100 million grant awarded to KCSOS by the California Department of Education. The six-year initiative is intended to strengthen mathematics education statewide by building the capacity of county offices, regional leaders, coaches and administrators, who will then pass that knowledge along to local educators.

Adopted by the California State Board of Education in 2023, the California Math Framework provided updated guidance for how educators teach California’s existing math standards. The new approach aims to move traditional math instruction beyond memorization toward one where teachers ask questions that prompt students to think critically while solving equations. Classroom discussions can become opportunities for students to explain, challenge and refine their thinking, experts say.

“While we still want automaticity, we are now pushing for a deeper understanding of how mathematics is working, so you can take that and apply it to new situations,” Dr. Cole Sampson, KCSOS’s Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction shared. “And with that, it takes more time and problem solving. We want to equip students and teachers with a tool belt of strategies.”

Throughout the convening, attendees are providing feedback on five modules covering assessment practices, high quality instructional materials, big ideas, grade span investigations, and multi-lingual learners.

“We are looking through different lenses, really thinking about what it means to be a learner, a teacher, and a coach, through these modules,” Dr. Kristine Ho, Director of Math Programs at UCLA Center X, said during Tuesday’s opening remarks.

The grant provides an opportunity to rethink professional learning statewide, using administrators, teacher leaders and coaches as catalysts for transforming how math educators are trained.

“We’ll know it’s working on the teacher’s side when we do classroom observations and we start to see a shift from direct instruction to more of a teacher in the role of a facilitator asking deep questions,” Dr. Sampson explained.

Six steering committee county offices (Sonoma, Santa Clara, Merced, Kern, Los Angeles County and San Diego County) were selected to help guide the grant and provide perspectives on needs across the state.

“One of the things that I hope we continue to do is build trust and collaboration and work across what have typically been silos in the state,” Dr. Sampson said. “The second thing is walking away with an understanding of the modules that they’ll be trained in, and how those modules can be leveraged to help coaches and administrators in their roles as they think about systems-level change for mathematics.”

For many attendees, networking with other math coordinators, administrators, and educators across the state is a major benefit.

“I always look forward to getting new ideas and reaching out to people that I haven’t met because I want to know what else is going on in other counties,” said Gloria Carrasco, Math Coordinator at Merced County Office of Education (MCOE). “I know that sometimes I’m going through things [at MCOE], and I know other counties also might be going through the same situation.”

The statewide convening marks a pivotal shift toward a more collaborative math education network. Moving instruction from rote memorization to real-world problem-solving requires time, trust, and structural change. As administrators return to their home counties armed with a new understanding of the California Math Framework, they carry back the unified mission to ensure every TK-12 student in California has access to a high-quality math education.