The legacy of mathematical genius Jim Simons, who transformed Renaissance Technologies into one of history’s most successful hedge funds through algorithmic trading, is taking an unexpected turn through his daughter’s stewardship of the family’s philanthropic endeavors. Following his death, Liz Simons, who oversees the nearly billion-dollar Heising-Simons Foundation, has directed substantial resources toward restructuring K-12 mathematics education through a social justice lens.
While many institutions are scaling back their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives due to legal and political pressures,
educational philanthropy continues to advance these principles in mathematics instruction. The Heising-Simons Foundation recently committed $800,000 to initiatives that aim to revolutionize how mathematics is taught to minority students.
This movement challenges traditional mathematical pedagogy,
questioning practices like showing work and finding correct answers, which some advocates characterize as manifestations of white supremacy. Organizations like TODOS Mathematics for All, supported by both the Gates and Heising-Simons foundations with over $553,750 in grants, promote incorporating anti-racist activism into mathematical instruction.
The foundations’ influence extends to practical classroom
applications. In Alexandria, Virginia, elementary school students participated in foundation-backed programs where they counted book characters by race and created racial scorecards – activities presented as mathematics education. Stanford professor Jo Boaler, known for advocating the removal of eighth-grade algebra from San Francisco schools, has received substantial support from these foundations for her YouCubed project.
Professor Danny Bernard Martin, whose work receives significant funding from the Heising-Simons Foundation, represents some of the movement’s most radical positions. Through the Racial Justice in Early Mathematics Project, which has received nearly $2.5 million in foundation support, Martin argues that mathematics instruction itself perpetuates white supremacy and advocates for black students to seek instruction exclusively from black teachers.
Critics of this approach include former Assistant Secretary of Education Williamson Evers, who warns that abandoning traditional mathematics education would harm minority students. Elizabeth Statmore, a San Francisco teacher, argues that improving minority student performance requires focused academic support rather than ideological transformation.
The impact of these initiatives has been mixed. In San Francisco, the removal of Algebra 1 from middle schools, intended to promote equity, led many families to seek alternative education options. A Stanford study revealed minimal improvement in closing racial achievement gaps through this approach. Conversely, Dallas public schools saw significant increases in black student participation in advanced mathematics by expanding access to advanced courses.
The Heising-Simons Foundation’s focus on mathematics education reflects its broader progressive agenda, including support for police defunding initiatives and progressive prosecutors. The foundation’s approach aligns with a decades-old scholarly movement to reframe mathematics through critical race theory, but recent funding has accelerated its implementation in schools nationwide.
Recent workshops by the Racial Justice in Early Mathematics Project have promoted “numberless word problems” as an alternative to traditional computation-based instruction. Critics argue this approach may disadvantage English language learners and fail to develop essential mathematical skills. Notably, even prominent advocates of these reforms, including Martin himself, have acknowledged enrolling their own children in traditional advanced mathematics tracks, highlighting the complex tensions within this educational movement.