Mathematiques Noir

It's the other education. The dejargoned, unfiltered, quizzical, scrupulous, industrious, and circumspect. The divisor, the dividend, the quotient ... and the remainder. The Black Mathematics. (A Jose Vilson Project, inspired by Rakim)

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How do we change the narrative about who math belongs to? Here's an idea after having visited a high school last week. Read my latest and let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks!

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What does a dead whale have to do with controversy in New York City schools? Read on as I explore the concept of dignity and the CEC 3 incident. Let me know what you think.

On Dignity [On CEC3 And The Racial Justice Work Ahead Of Us]

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What lessons can we learn from the Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime show for educators? Hint: it's really about how we see our students and what we think we're seeing!

The Curriculum of Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl Halftime Show

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How did a bad encounter with two wayward teenagers after Trump's inauguration transformed my outlook for the rest of the year? Read more here and let me know what you think!

2025: Because We Had To Do Something About It

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I got a story to tell, and it's about the wild trip that is high school admissions. Can we do better? I hope so. Read more here!

Pick A School, Every School (On the NYC High School Admissions Process)

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Until We Get It Done (On My Meeting with Zohran Mamdani)

A couple of Saturdays ago, I had an existential question that I couldn’t grapple over. “Do you think I should go canvass?” My wife, knowing who I was, neither confirmed nor denied my request, but it’s a funny request. I can navigate speeches, protests, rallies, and other large gatherings, but I’m really an introvert. I have a hard time asking anyone for help. Why would I ask someone to vote for…

Until We Get It Done (On My Meeting with Zohran Mamdani)

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How do we know our students are gifted? What do MacArthur genius award winners tell us about exceptional education? Read on for more!

The Genius of Our Students

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What are we missing when we talk about NYC Solves or any math education initiative? How about culture and outcomes?! Read on for more here!

Why Teaching Math for Test Results Is Not Enough

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What parallels are we seeing between the classroom and the heightened police state in Washington, DC? Read more as I explore what democracy could look like in our classrooms and beyond!

Rows and Aisles (DC and Washington, Too)

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Instead of living in our comfort zones, here's how I pushed beyond my discomfort to give a speech to almost 1000 people. Read more at the link below.

Getting Beyond Our Discomfort Zones

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How do we give credit to students for the learning we do as educators? To read more, click through and read how we can do better!

What Lessons Are We Learning from Our Students?

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Why was Rubby Peréz such an important figure for myself and Dominicans across the world? I start with a story here. Read along!

Rubby Peréz and The Ties That Bind Us All

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How do we fight for truly public schools in the midst of fascism? It starts with the people who believe in the "public"! Read more here.

New York and The Fight For Truly Public Schools

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How do we advocate for public education in a time of autocracy? Here are three observations and a way forward from an educator! Read on!

Three Pillars for Decimating Public Education

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The Pedagogy of Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl Halftime Show

What can we learn from watching Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl halftime show about our pedagogy as educators? How would a holistic pedagogy help us all build towards democracy? Click here to read more!

Can we talk about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime performance for a bit?Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show stirred America’s cultural pot over the last two days. Naysayers’ opinions have run the gamut from “I didn’t get it” to “It was too Black for me,” a sure sign that Lamar’s performance worked. Nothing about Lamar’s musical tapestry suggests he would dilute his discography for…

The Pedagogy of Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Some Notes about Joy Amid The Tyranny

What does joy look like amid the tyranny? I share nine notes about my approach to the now and the foreseeable future. Read and let me know what you think.

As President Trump dropped executive orders at an alarming rate, I celebrated my life. On January 24th, I took time to sit with myself and reflect on the past year. I read messages and took phone calls from friends new and old on my phone. I’ve traded bottles and blaring speakers for DayQuil and napkins after recent spats with the flu that passed through our family. Then, I enjoyed our quiet…

Some Notes about Joy Amid The Tyranny

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The Problem With How You Discuss Reading

Kids can’t read. At least that’s what we’ve been told to believe by folks trying to dismantle public education. Proponents of this refrain use frivolous things like standardized test scores with no reflection on what they’re conveying. It’s a prickly discussion to have given our current educational environment, happening in the midst of a censorship movement against books perceived to be more…

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