District 28 to join New York City Solves math initiative; central team outlines shifts and supports
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Summary
NYCPS math instructional leads told District 28 parents the district will join New York City Solves in middle schools this September, promising shared curricula options, in‑person coaching and district supports to promote conceptually focused math instruction.
District 28 will begin middle‑school participation in New York City Solves in September, district and central staff told the Community Education Council on Feb. 5.
Amanda Bueno Renee and Kathy Grandchamps, math instructional leads on the NYCPS STEM team, described the initiative as a city‑level effort to shift math instruction toward sense‑making and equitable access. Amanda said the program centers on five instructional shifts: shared grade‑level tasks that are low‑floor/high‑ceiling, stronger focus on student discourse and sense‑making, asset‑based supports, and a shared high‑quality curriculum across classrooms.
Kathy Grandchamps said teachers who are new to the selected curriculum will receive substantial in‑person professional learning and ongoing coaching in schools, and principals and assistant principals will get leadership support at conferences. Amanda emphasized that districts will choose from three centrally supported middle‑school curriculum options (Illustrative Mathematics, iReady, and Amplify Desmos math) and that District 28 is piloting options with teachers and principals before making a selection.
On questions about memorization and fluency, the presenters said basic skills (such as multiplication facts) remain important but will be taught in ways that build conceptual understanding so students can flexibly apply knowledge across contexts. The presenters also cited early high‑school gains in districts that have implemented these shifts for multiple years and described centrally funded coaching supports (they mentioned foundation grants as typical funding sources for multi‑year coaching).
Superintendent Dr. Blake and council members welcomed the presentation and asked for follow‑up data on high‑school successes; the presenters encouraged parents to ask open‑ended questions at home to support the approach and said the city will provide job‑embedded coaching and materials.
District 28 will continue piloting curriculum options and seek principal input before naming the district middle‑school curriculum; the presentation and supporting materials will be posted to district channels for parent reference.
